Troopers with the Mississippi Highway Patrol issued statistics from this week’s Fourth of July enforcement period, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to a release from MHP Captain Johnny Poulos, statewide there were two fatalities associated with a one-vehicle accident that occurred in Marion County on Tuesday. Other than that, troopers worked 61 vehicle crashes, which involved 17 injuries not including the fatalities.  Those statistics only include incidents worked by troopers on state and federal highways and the interstate system.  Last year during this time troopers worked 102 vehicle crashes along those roadways.

This year, troopers issued 4,594 citations and conducted 41 DUI arrests. Last year at this time, 2,217 citations were issued. The release attributes the increase in citations this year to the increased number of troopers on the roadways, and the reduced number of crashes to drivers exercising more caution. Within Troop K, which includes Pearl River County, and the other five coastal counties, four DUI arrests were conducted, and citations were written for 11 seatbelt violations. Twelve vehicle collisions were worked within Troop K, of which there were no injuries.