The four-day reporting period began at midnight on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, and ran through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
One of the crashes took place on New Year’s Day near the Preble-Montgomery County line.
Troopers were called to Preble County Line Road near U.S. 35 around 7:39 a.m. after a vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection. The vehicle was reportedly speeding and went airborne before going off the side of the road and hitting a utility pole and then a tree.
The driver, 20-year-old Nicholas Emrick of New Lebanon, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to patrol. He was the only person inside the vehicle.
Speed and impairment are both suspected factors in the crash.
OSHP said of the seven fatalities, five of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt.
In the 2022 to 2023 season, OSHP reported 13 fatalities. From the 2021 to 2022 season, 12 fatalities were reported, while the 2020 to 2021 season had 14 fatalities reported.
This year, patrol made 3,259 traffic enforcement contacts, including 272 OVI arrests, 106 distracted driving and 409 safety belt citations.
More statistical analysis of OHSP’s enforcement activity over the holiday is available here.
The public is encouraged to continue using 677 to report dangerous or impaired drivers, as well as drug activity.
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