Overview
- Troopers issued 4,130 citations during the Christmas travel window, including 69 impaired-driving arrests and 477 seat belt violations.
- On Dec. 24 in Lauderdale County, pedestrian Daniel Garris, 50, was struck on Interstate 59 and was pronounced dead at Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center.
- On Dec. 26 in Lincoln County, Martin Dunn, 68, died at the scene after his tanker truck left Highway 583, hit an embankment, and overturned.
- Enhanced New Year’s patrols will run from 6 a.m. Dec. 31 through midnight Jan. 1 with troopers prioritizing speed enforcement, seat belt compliance, and impaired driving.
- State transportation officials urged celebrants to arrange sober rides and to avoid phone use while driving, noting last year’s New Year’s period saw 68 crashes and one death.