Police To Step Up Patrols For Holiday Weekend
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Drivers out late over this Fourth of July weekend might notice they have company on the road - more police.
Chicago Police Lt. David Blanco said that state statistics show the vast majority of fatal crashes occur between midnight and 3 a.m. and involve alcohol. So, as WBBM Newsradio 780's Nancy Harty reports, local and state police have set their sites on the late night crowd for the holiday weekend.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Nancy Harty reports
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They plan to conduct 200 roadside safety checks and other patrols, looking for drivers who are drinking and anyone who's not buckled up.
Last Fourth of July weekend, 10 people died and 780 were injured in Illinois crashes, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
IDOT said this year's safety campaign began June 17 and runs through July 4.
The patrols are being funded by more than $1 million in federal safety grants.
State police plan stops Friday between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. along the Eisenhower Expressway at 1st Avenue and on Sunday from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. along Interstate 57 at 119th Street.
