Holiday weekend relatively calm in North Mississippi

Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Roadblocks, campaigns warning drivers to buckle up and increased presence of police cars on roadways over the Memorial Day weekend all had one goal in common — to prevent people from losing their lives on Mississippi highways and local roadways.

That was accomplished in Lafayette County and surrounding counties in North Mississippi this weekend, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

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No fatalities were reported over the weekend in Troop E, which covers nine northwest Mississippi counties: Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha, Lafayette, Tate, Tunica, DeSoto and Marshall.

Troopers issued 1,108 total citations that included 23 DUIs, 251 seat belt violations and 27 child restraint violations. There were 14 wrecks on highways.

In Oxford, the Oxford Police Department reported a fairly quiet weekend as well with eight DUI arrests and 16 wrecks.

“Traffic was pretty light,” said Maj. Jeff McCutchen. “Our goal was to make sure everyone stayed safe, particularly on the highways.”

McCutchen said the Memorial Day weekend is generally one of Oxford’s quieter holiday weekends, especially when the weather is nice.

“People travel and school isn’t in,” he said. “It’s right after graduation and many people take trips so it’s generally pretty quiet.”

Statewide, there was one fatal wreck in the Hattiesburg MHP district in Lamar County, where two people were killed, including a toddler.

The enforcement period started at 6 p.m. Friday and ended at midnight on Monday. Troopers issued 8,893 citations during that time that included 1,779 seat belt violations and 99 child restraint violations. They made 164 arrests for DUI and investigated 132 wrecks.