52 Killed in Traffic Accidents in State Over Holiday Weekend
At least 52 people died in traffic accidents during the Thanksgiving weekend in California, with a predictable surge in traffic expected as motorists head home to end the holiday.
The California Highway Patrol reported 52 people killed on the state’s highways between 6 p.m. Wednesday, the start of the holiday reporting period, and 6 a.m. Sunday. The next update will be this morning, the CHP said.
During the entire 1989 Thanksgiving weekend, 68 traffic deaths were recorded statewide, eight in Los Angeles County.
Drunk driving arrests were running higher, with 2,526 for the reporting period, compared to 2,173 for the same 3 1/2-day reporting period one year ago, CHP Officer Lydia Martinez said. The 1990 arrest figure already exceeds the entire 1989 period, which saw 2,427 arrests.
Ten of the fatalities occurred in the Los Angeles area, including three early Saturday and one just before midnight Friday.
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