Ohio's Thanksgiving Travel Trouble: Weather Wreaks Havoc on Roads

Ohio saw a rough Thanksgiving weekend on the roads. Eleven people lost their lives in eight crashes. This happened because of bad weather. Snow and strong winds made driving super dangerous. The Ohio State Highway Patrol had to deal with 766 crashes. That's 11% more than last year. Bad weather means more accidents and fewer traffic stops. Troopers had to react to crashes instead of preventing them. Not wearing seat belts was a big problem. Three of the fatal crashes involved people not buckled up. Three crashes were pedestrian-related. Alcohol was suspected in two cases. Northeast Ohio got hit the hardest. Wind gusts reached 50 mph. Snow and wind made it hard to see. Some areas got over 10 inches of snow. Lorain County had the most incidents. Cuyahoga, Summit, Lake, and Geauga counties also saw a lot of trouble. The Ohio Department of Transportation sent out snowplows. They worked to clear the roads. Drivers were told to slow down and give extra space. Troopers gave out a lot of citations. 287 for distracted driving and 462 for not wearing seat belts. They also arrested 281 people for driving under the influence. And cited 292 for driving with a suspended license. Troopers helped 1, 572 motorists on the road.