Over Mississippi Highway Patrol’s Fourth of July enforcement period, held from June 30 to July 4, troopers across the state issued 5,618 citations and conducted 100 DUI arrests. Within Troop K, the district covering Pearl River County and the five other coastal counties, roughly 20 troopers patrolled the roads. Within Troop K, there were 26 collisions, one alcohol related collision, 12 DUI arrests, one felony arrest, four seatbelt violations and one injury, according to an MHP release.
There was a reduction in total traffic related fatalities in the state compared to 2016, which had six fatal collisions. This Fourth of July weekend, there were three fatalities across Mississippi, an MHP report states. No traffic related fatalities occurred within Troop K.
An MHP report states that Sunday, July 2 troopers responded to a single-vehicle fatal accident in Yazoo County after Wilbert L. Demus, 56, of Bentonia, left the road and collided with a utility pole. The next day, another single-vehicle fatal accident was worked after Michael D. Watson, 53, of Amory, veered off Mississippi Highway 8 and collided with a tree. On Independence Day, the final fatality reported to MHP involved William D. Few, 31, of Grenada, who was traveling southbound on Interstate 55, when his vehicle left the roadway and entered the median where the car rolled several times.
The 2017 MHP Fourth of July enforcement period reduced the number of drunk drivers and enforced the updated seatbelt law, which indicates every passenger in a motor vehicle must properly wear a seatbelt at all times. This focus on seatbelt violations meshed with the MHP’s “In the Click” safety campaign, the MHP release states.
Overall, the MHP noted a large reduction in seatbelt citations, reporting 199 citations this year compared to last year’s 444 statewide.