Lorain County police departments, state highway patrol collaborate to target serious crashes this weekend

EATON TOWNSHIP — Drivers in Lorain County will see more cruisers on the road this weekend in an effort to reduce serious or fatal crashes over the holiday. Now through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, law enforcement agencies will be out on high-visibility patrols to promote safer roadways and — hopefully — avoid fatal crashes this Fourth of July weekend, Highway Patrol Elyria Post Cmdr. Lt. Ray Santiago said. "We see increased travel, AAA is reporting a record number of travelers this year — so sharing the communication between agencies (and) some of the resources, being data-driven in our approach and being highly visible are all things that are going to contribute to a safer holiday," Santiago said. Data collected over the enforcement period will be shared from local agencies to the Highway Patrol to better target enforcement moving forward. Santiago stood alongside Sheffield Police Chief William Visalden, president of the Lorain County Chiefs' Law Enforcement Association, and Amherst Chief Mark Cawton, association treasurer, to announce plans to increase patrols for distracted or impaired drivers through Sunday evening. From July 3 to July 7, 2024, Lorain County saw a total of 15 injury crashes, one of which was a fatal crash, according to Highway Patrol statistics. Of those crashes, one-third involved alcohol or drugs and 40 percent involved motorists not wearing a seat belt. "This is probably our worst holiday," Visalden said in terms of fatal and injury crashes. The past two years have seen fatal crashes over the holiday. On July 7, 2024, Joshua Thompson struck and killed Sherry Taylor, 50, at North Abbe Road and State Route 57 in Elyria. Thompson, 42, was sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison for the alcohol-fueled crash. On July 4, 2023, Myra Ashbury struck and killed Roseann DeCost near East 36th Street and Omaha Avenue in Lorain. Decost, 55, was crossing the street and later died of her injuries. Ashbury, 27, was sentenced to five to seven-and-a-half years for aggravated vehicular homicide. Alcohol was also a factor in the crash. "Any fatal (crashes) are just not good," Visalden said. "... We're going to be making traffic stops, we're looking for violations that we know are serious-injury causing — alcohol, being one, distracted driving being another. … It is a collaborative, countywide effort to focus on these violations that we know are causing serious injury (crashes)." Alongside local police and state troopers, the Lorain County Sheriff's Office will be covering state routes and county roads to curb dangerous driving practices. Santiago said the Highway Patrol will have its speed-enforcement aircraft in Lorain County over the weekend, and its pilot is equipped to issue citations to those speeding in targeted corridors. Those areas are marked with signage. Santiago said the Highway Patrol has received federal funding for overtime, and it limits leave restrictions to maximize staffing during the summer. The July 4 holiday falls within the State Highway Patrol's 100 deadliest days of summer, which runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This period sees both an increase in traffic and an increase in serious injury and fatal crashes. During the "100 Deadliest Days of Summer" in 2024, 65,035 crashes occurred on Ohio's roadways, including 364 fatal crashes. Those fatal crashes resulted in 393 deaths, or more than one-third of all the fatal crashes recorded in 2024, according to the Highway Patrol. This period also encompasses the primary motorcycle riding months. More than half of all motorcycle-involved crashes in 2024 occurred during the "100 Deadliest Days of Summer," according to the Highway Patrol. The Fatal-free Fourth is in connection with the national "Drive sober or get pulled over" campaign that targets impaired driving to reduce crashes. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.