OVI-related crashes, charges increase locally

Accidents and citations involving charges of operating a vehicle while impaired increased slightly from 2014 to 2015 in Mercer and Auglaize counties.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol last week released a report on citations for operating a vehicle while intoxicated for 2015. Troopers responded to 58 OVI-related accidents in Mercer County and 49 in Auglaize County last year. The numbers are up from 53 in Mercer County and 45 in Auglaize County for 2014, according to the release.

OVI stops by the patrol's Wapakoneta post also reportedly were up in the two counties with troopers making 135 stops in Mercer County in 2015, up from 88 in 2014. In Auglaize County, 83 stops were conducted in 2015, up from 79 in 2014, according to highway patrol information. Troopers arrested 220 impaired drivers in this area, according to the news release.

The highway patrol post has created a new work shift starting a 8 p.m. in addition to the shift beginning at 11 p.m., pitting more patrol officers on the roadways during the night in Mercer County, a Wapakoneta post representative said this morning.

The Mercer County Sheriff's Office also reported an increase in arrests and accidents from 2014 to 2015. Deputies made 84 OVI arrests last year, up from 72 in 2014, Capt. Martin Emerine said. They also responded to 33 OVI accidents in 2015, up from 18 in 2014.

Twelve underage arrests were made in 2015, up from seven in 2014, he added.

"Specific reasons can't be pinpointed. It's like accidents, there can be many factors," he said.

Auglaize County Sheriff's deputies made 22 arrests for OVI during traffic stops in 2015, an increase of one from 2014, records show.

Stops and arrests for OVI typically increase at this time of year and remain higher from May through August, Emerine said.

"The weather plays some role, but increases vary from year to year," he said, noting people are more likely to get out of the house and start traveling in warmer weather.

"We're typically really busy on the first warm weekend of the year. We may have one call after another on opposite sides of the county. People get excited and have cabin fever," he said.

The Mercer County Sheriff's Office participates in the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" program from late August through Labor Day, he said.

The program is an effort by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that encourages people not to drive while intoxicated.

Holidays are another busy time for local law enforcement with Halloween, the day before Thanksgiving and July 4 topping the list for OVI stops and arrests, he said.

Autumn also can be busy for law enforcement due to football season, he said. Deputies will have an increased presence Easter weekend.

Statewide, the number of OVI citations decreased with troopers issuing 24,676 citations in 2015 and 24,705 citations in 2014. Troopers have averaged about 24,500 OVI citations over the past four years, according to the release.

"We need motorists to commit to keeping our roads safe by planning ahead to designate a driver and insisting that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up," Lt. J.S. Carrico said in the release. "You can also help fight the battle against impaired driving by actively influencing friends and family to do the same."

Emerine encourages everyone to call 911 to report possible drunken driving.