MSHP emphasizes importance of safe driving as Thanksgiving Holiday counting period ends
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Thanksgiving holiday counting period concludes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
The counting period began Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. According to the patrol's crash report website, as of 7:30 p.m. Sunday, three people were killed, and114 were injured in 79 traffic crashes across the state.
During last year's Thanksgiving Holiday counting period, there were 9 fatalities and 483 injuries in 1,342 crashes across the state, according to a release from MSHP.
Triple A projected a record-breaking 71.7 million people would travel by car this Thanksgiving, creating heavy road congestion, marking a 1.9% increase from 2023. Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Kyle Green told ABC 17 News via email Saturday evening that troopers had a particularly challenging weekend.
“Troopers throughout mid-Missouri have been very busy this morning (Saturday) responding to calls for service related to the snow storm moving through the area. This problem has been compounded by the large amount of traffic in and around Columbia for the MU football game," the statement reads.
According to a social media post posted by Troop F Sunday morning, since 6 a.m. Saturday morning troopers handled:
- 289 calls for service
- 83 non-injury crashes
- 7 injury crashes
- 1 fatal crash
- 112 stranded motorists
🚨Final Update: Snow Storm Totals🚨
— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) December 1, 2024
As of 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, Troop F handled:
Non-Injury Crashes - 83
Injury Crashes - 7
Fatal Crashes - 1
Stranded Motorists - 112
Total Calls For Service - 289 pic.twitter.com/Xs3hYBKOcl
According to Green, many crashes were caused by speeding, tailgating, and drivers failing to adjust to the weather conditions.
Mark Gifford-- a Wisconsin native who dropped his daughter back off to the University of Missouri on Sunday said he noticed some roads were better than others.
"The roads aren't bad on the main highways, but we had got diverted because of construction and on Highway 70... there it's a little bit iffy with some of the snow still stuck in the center lanes. But for the most part, I think the sun did a great job today of drying it out," Gifford said.
The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team is predicting light snow Sunday night into Monday morning that could impact commute times for some drivers.
Green urges drivers who are involved in a crash, or who notice they're starting to slide off the road, to stay in their vehicle and call *55 for help from the highway patrol.
"Just like I told my daughter today, you've got to stay a big distance behind the car in front of you. And if the weather conditions are bad, even more," Gifford said. "And if somebody wants to pass, you let them pass. You know, don't be intimidated by the person behind you. Just be safe."
