Coshocton County Safe Communities releases fourth quarter traffic fatality report
COSHOCTON – The fatality review committee for the Coshocton County Safe Communities Coalition reports that there were a total of seven fatal traffic crashes in Coshocton County in 2014. The committee met recently to review county traffic fatality data from the fourth quarter reporting period last year.
Christy Mosier, Safe Communities Coordinator, said the fatality review committee is tasked with analyzing traffic fatality data from law enforcement crash reports on each traffic fatality that occurs in the county. The committee looks at contributing factors such as impairment from drug or alcohol use, speeding, seatbelt use, distractive driving, traffic, and road conditions. Their findings will be used to make recommendations for traffic safety improvements and public awareness campaigns.
For the Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2014 reporting period, a two-vehicle crash resulted in one person killed and one seriously injured. The crash occurred on Oct. 21 on SR 83 near Otsego. Speed and driver inexperience were determined to be contributing factors in the crash.
Mosier said that most fatalities can be prevented.
“Maintaining safe speeds, always buckling up, and driving without impairment or distraction help to eliminate the hazards that kill and injure motorists.”
More than 30,000 people are killed in car crashes each year in the United States. In addition to the toll on victims’ families and friends, crash deaths result in some $41 billion in medical and work loss costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The average cost of deaths from motor vehicle crashes in Ohio is $1.23 million.
Fatality Review Committee members include representatives from the Coshocton County Health Department, Coshocton County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Coshocton County Engineer’s Office, Coshocton County EMS, and the Coshocton County EMA.
For more information on the Coshocton County Safe Community Coalition, call 295-7373 or visit their Facebook page.
Category: Government
