Illinois State Police Lieutenant Jon Dively, announced today that Knox County is seeing a spike in motor vehicle fatalities.
The county has reportedly experienced 14 fatalities from 11 crashes this year with only three fatalities during this same time last year. The spike is an increase of 350%.
Dively says that in most cases, speeding, DUI, distracted driving, and failure to wear a seat belt contributed to the cause.
Three of the fatalities took place on interstates or U.S. highways. The majority of the incidents took place on local and county roads and causes spanned widely from crossing left of center to excessive speeds.
Illinois State Police Troopers are being assigned specific patrols to concentrate on Knox County roadways. Authorities say high visibility patrols have been found to help reduce fatal crashes.
