Document text
48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 31, 2004 Road deaths spike in ’04 By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Statistics show that 2004 has been one of the deadliest years ever for motorists in Jackson County. "And we’re not quite done yet," said Sandy Nelson, traffic safety program manager for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, noting that traveling tonight could be dangerous because of the combination of New Year’s Eve celebrations and wintry weather. Forty-three people have been killed this year in 37 crashes on Jackson County roads, according to data provided by the sheriff’s department. In 2003, 28 people in the county died in traffic wrecks. "I believe the public’s perception of a lack of law enforcement (because of budget cuts) has contributed to an increase in aggressive driving," Nelson said, trying to explain the rise in traffic fatalities. Advertisement Since 1988, an average 28 people per year have died as a result of traffic crashes in Jackson County. As in past years, many deadly wrecks in 2004 were caused by drivers who got behind the wheel after drinking or doing drugs. Of the 37 fatal crashes in the county this year, at least 14 involved alcohol or drugs, statistics show. The year’s worst crash, a July 25 incident on Highway 140 near Lake of the Woods that killed five people, including two children, was caused by a driver who had a .07 blood-alcohol level, a police investigation revealed. The wreck was Jackson County’s deadliest since 1988. Two other crashes this year in Jackson County claimed multiple lives. On Sept. 25, two motorcyclists from Rogue River were killed when they were struck by a vehicle on Highway 62 near Shady Cove. And last Sunday, two Medford men died when their van ran off old Jacksonville Highway and slammed into a tree. When the clock strikes 12 tonight, a dangerous year on Jackson County’s roads will officially come to an end. But traffic troubles might just be getting started. On the heels of a deadly Christmas holiday weekend during which 10 people died in traffic crashes on Oregon roads, police are urging people to drive responsibly and be prepared for inclement weather throughout the three-day New Year’s weekend. Oregon State Police Lt. Kurt Barthel said troopers will be on the lookout for intoxicated drivers, but also plan to keep an eye on Siskiyou Summit, where significant snowfall is expected. "If it gets bad, we will move some troopers up there, and call in more" to patrol highways in the Rogue Valley, Barthel said. "But the fact is, there are not enough (troopers) to go around." According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the New Year’s weekend is usually one of the deadliest of the year. A projected total of 410 people in the United States will be fatally injured in traffic crashes during the three-day weekend, with about 45 percent of those killed in wrecks involving impaired drivers. Holiday weekends on Jackson County roads have been exceptionally dangerous in 2004, statistics show. One traffic death occurred over the Memorial Day weekend, three people died in wrecks during Independence Day weekend, and one person was killed in a Labor Day weekend crash. Four of those six wrecks were caused by drivers who drank alcohol prior to getting behind the wheel. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers