From The Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division reported a “dramatic decrease” in overall boating and drowning fatalities over the Memorial Day weekend.
Photo: Trooper Daniel Money.
There were no boating fatalities and no drownings. There were only two vessel crashes and minor injuries were reported in only one of those crashes. In 2020, there were 10 boat crashes and four drownings.
ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division investigated seven traffic fatalities over Memorial Day weekend. A crash in St. Clair County claimed four lives when a car left the roadway and entered Logan Martin Lake.
“Investigating fatal crashes is one of the most difficult parts of a Trooper’s job. Sadly, this year we investigated a single-vehicle crash that claimed the lives of four loved ones at one time,” ALEA’s Secretary Hal Taylor said. “Memorial Day weekend is only the beginning of the busy summer months, and each of us must do our part to make safety a priority on the water and the road. We will continue the agency’s mission of enhancing public safety and saving lives through the utilization of consolidated law enforcement efforts, sharing public safety practices, engaging in educational opportunities and taking the necessary steps to remove impaired drivers from Alabama’s roadways and waterways.”
Another fatality was reported in a two-vehicle crash in Shelby County, another in a two-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle in Tuscaloosa County and another in a single-vehicle crash in Franklin County.
During the holiday weekend, ALEA Troopers joined their law enforcement partners across the state and the nation in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which included sobriety checks. Between Saturday and Monday, Troopers issued 21 citations for Driving Under the Influence.
Grants administered through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) provided funds to cover additional Trooper shifts during this initiative.
