KSP gearing up for safety checkpoints

ASHLAND, Ky. — The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 14 in Ashland will be conducting safety checkpoints at various times and approved locations throughout the Post 14 district, which encompasses Boyd, Greenup, Carter and Lawrence counties.

Public Information Officer of KSP Post 14 Trooper Michael Murriell said safety checkpoints are a means for KSP to ensure safety for all motorists.

“The safety checkpoints allow us another avenue to provide safety for all motorists that are traveling throughout the Commonwealth,” Murriell said. “During the safety checkpoints we are able to observe numerous violations that are occurring and hopefully get those issues corrected to keep everyone as safe as possible.”

Preliminary statistics for the Memorial Day weekend did involve some fatalities throughout Kentucky.

“These are preliminary stats, we are given baseline numbers and it could increase, depending on late reporting by some local agencies,” Murriell said. “Over the Memorial Day holiday period, which started at six o’clock on Friday, May 27, and ended at 11:59 on Monday, May 30, in the state of Kentucky we had five collisions, that were five fatalities, two involved alcohol, and two of those no seat belt restraint was being used. We had two that were without helmets, and one that was a pedestrian.”

Additionally, the counties involved that had fatalities occurred on May 27, in Christian County which involved the pedestrian. May 28, in Jefferson County, May 29 in Mead County, May 29, in Campbell County, and May 30, Laurel County.

“We actually did not have any fatalities on the eastern post areas, Post 14, or Post 9,” he said.

These safety checkpoints are held in an effort to reduce alcohol and drug related crashes, ensure compliance with operator’s license laws, and vehicle equipment safety and registration laws.

By Portia Williams

[email protected]

Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.

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