15-03-2025
‘No excuse': Local law enforcement cracking down on drunk driving this weekend
LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) – St. Patrick's Day falls on Monday this year and for some Northeast Ohioans, the celebration will be a long holiday, stretching from Friday to Tuesday.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said starting on Friday night, troopers are teaming up with local law enforcement agencies to step up enforcement, identifying and arresting impaired drivers.
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In Lorain County, state troopers and deputies with the Lorain County Sheriff's Office are joining forces to crack down on drunk drivers, concentrating on Interstate 90, state routes and county roads.
'Anytime you take, not just alcohol but drugs, you should not be behind the wheel of a car. It severely impairs not just your judgment, but your depth perception, your reaction times, a whole lot. A whole host of things that are necessary to drive a motor vehicle, so just making sure that everyone is safe while they're out there this holiday weekend, enjoying the break in the weather that we're getting,' OSHP Lt. Ray Santiago said.
The highway patrol said over the past five years, troopers across the state have made more than 300 OVI arrests on St. Patrick's Day and impaired driving accounted for more than 200 crashes, 14 of them fatal.
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Authorities said given the options that are now available, there is no excuse for getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
'The interaction with law enforcement is the least of the concerns, right, when we know how critical some of these events can be, can lead to serious injury and unfortunately death,' said Santiago. 'We're really just out there trying to make folks safe and understanding that there's no excuse anymore. Like, there's entire industries around getting folks to rideshare and getting them from 'point A' to 'point B.''
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