The number of people who have died in crashes on Virginia roadways is up by about 10 percent in 2017.
That number includes 10 people who died on the highways over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to the Virginia State Police.
Eight drivers, a passenger, and a pedestrian died in crashes in Richmond, Appomattox, Augusta, Bedford, Caroline, Fairfax and Spotsylvania from Nov. 22-26, according to the VSP.
Their deaths bring the number of Thanksgiving weekend fatalities to its highest point since 2013 when 12 people died during the same timeframe. Those numbers are also higher than 2016 when seven people lost their lives in fatal wrecks during Thanksgiving, according to the VSP.
Traffic fatalities weren’t just higher during the holiday — 73 more people have died on Virginia highways so far this year than in 2016.
“The increase in fatal crashes through this year is troubling and should be of serious concern to all Virginians,” VSP Superintendent Colonel W. Steven Flaherty wrote in a press release. “Tragically, there will be at least 700 families heading into the holiday season mourning the loss of a loved one because of a traffic crash on a Virginia highway.”
Other notable statics over Thanksgiving weekend included the VSP issuing 8,016 speeding tickets, 2,465 reckless driver citations, and 102 accused drunken drivers. The VSP also responded to 998 traffic crashes.
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