Colonel Eric T. Olson, Superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, reports four people died in traffic crashes on the state’s roadways during the New Year’s Day holiday counting period.

A news release says during the 78-hour counting period began at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2020, and ended at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, January 3, 2021, troopers investigated 458 traffic crashes, including the four fatalities and 97 injuries. They made 135 Driving While Impaired arrests.

Last year during the 30-hour New Year’s counting period, there were 323 traffic crashes statewide. In those crashes, one person was killed and another 140 were injured. During the 2020 New Year’s holiday, troopers arrested 58 people for Driving While Impaired.

There were no boating crashes or drownings over the 2021 New Year’s holiday counting period.

Two traffic fatalities occurred in the Troop D, Springfield, area; one traffic fatality occurred in each of the Troop H, St. Joseph, and Troop I, Rolla, areas.

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