Nine killed in Thanksgiving holiday crashes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Nine people died in crashes over the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend, but none of those crashes happened in Mid-Missouri, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Monday.

The deaths happened during the patrol's holiday counting period, which started at 6 p.m. Wednesday and ended at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The patrol worked 457 crashes with 114 injuries. Troopers reported 125 cases of driving while intoxicated and 72 drug arrests, according to a patrol news release.

Total crashes were up from the 307 reported during the 2020 counting period. Last year 12 deaths and 379 injuries were reported.

Three people died in crashes this year in eastern Missouri; three in western Missouri and one each in southeast, southwest and northern Missouri.

No boating crashes or drownings were reported troopers made no boating while intoxicated arrests.