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Valley had a safe holiday Police report no traffic fatalities in Jackson, Josephine counties; relatively few criminal incidents By JILL BRISKEY Residents and visitors traveling through Jackson County during the Memorial Day weekend enjoyed a relatively safe holiday police say. According to preliminary reports, a total of nine people died in traffic-related accidents in Oregon between May 21-28. But none of the fatal accidents occurred in Jackson or Josephine counties, Oregon State Police Lt. Dan Durbin said. "That's the best thing about the holiday," he added. Working together, police agencies across the nation beefed up patrols over the holiday for Operation A.B.C. Mobilization, an annual effort targeting drivers and passengers in violation of seat-belt laws. "We had people out on ... overtime (paid for by grants)," Durbin said. "We worked saturation patrols for speed (and) DUII (intoxicated drivers)." Durbin said state police cited 12 drivers over the weekend for driving under the influence of intoxicants in the Rogue Valley. One violator, Redmond resident Dawn Denise Smith, was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on Saturday on charges of drunken driving, resisting arrest, reckless driving and four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor. Smith, who had a Deschutes County warrant charging her with violating parole (driving under the influence of intoxicants) was stopped after police received several reports that she was allegedly driving recklessly along Highway 62. Smith had four children in her vehicle at the time of her arrest, Durbin said. Jackson County sheriff's traffic safety coordinator Greg Halley said police patrolled campgrounds and recreation areas during the holiday but did not encounter any major crime. "It was a pretty quiet weekend," he said. "Not a lot happened, which is good for us." Halley, a member of Jackson County's multi-agency Alcohol Coalition Enforcement, which targets teen drinking and outdoor safety, said he broke up a few underage parties before they started over the weekend. Alcohol was seized and disposed of on a few occasions, he added. A large group of teens camping in nine sites in the Lost Creek area was evicted Friday morning following a night of alleged partying, Halley said. "Friday was Crater (High School's) unofficial skip day," he said. Over the holiday weekend, state police investigated 228 crashes, up from the 202 traffic accidents investigated in 2000. Also during the weekend, state police arrested 96 intoxicated drivers, issued 1,822 speed-related citations and 226 safety restraint citations. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.