Holiday Accidents Significantly Up

MIDDLETOWN (AP) — State police are reporting a significant increase in accidents and hazardous moving violations over this Christmas holiday period compared to last year’s holiday.

Last year, there were 174 motor vehicle accidents in Connecticut, police said. This year, authorities said, accidents have increased to 267.

Motor vehicle arrests increased from 367 last year to 564 this year. There were four fatal accidents this year that took five lives on the interstate highways, police said, compared to one fatality last year.

State police made 61 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol over this Christmas holiday. There were 23 DUI arrests in 1999.

Additional state troopers were assigned to patrol Connecticut’s roads over this year’s Christmas holiday, said state police spokesman Sgt. Paul Vance.