Preliminary data show traffic fatalities in Indiana up from last year

INDIANAPOLIS — Daybreak Vasquez resides by each dad or mum’s worst nightmare on daily basis.

In July 2020, her son, 23-year-old development employee David Vasquez, was killed in a crash on Interstate 65 close to downtown Indianapolis.

He was working in a development zone when driver Cheyenne Move swerved into the correct shoulder and hit him, based on Indiana State Police.

Authorities stated Move was driving drunk on the time of the crash.

“Shawn, based on the coroner, was killed immediately,” Daybreak Vasquez stated. “I’ve not learn the police report as a result of I don’t assume that I can.”

It was due to that Vasquez joined Moms In opposition to Drunk Driving to assist elevate consciousness.

“I don’t need this to occur to anybody else. I need to ensure that dad and mom don’t undergo what we’re going by each single day,” Daybreak Vasquez stated.

Preliminary knowledge exhibits visitors fatalities throughout Indiana are up 19 from this time final yr — greater than 70 from 2020 and greater than 50 from pre-pandemic ranges courting again to 2019.

“Now we have seen latest numbers that present a rise in deadly crashes on Indiana highways which is a development we now have additionally seen all through the nation,” ISP Sgt. John Perrine stated.

Perrine stated he believes the rise in deadly crashes will be credited to having extra drivers, in addition to extra reckless drivers.

Most of the issues stem from impaired driving and a failure to make use of a seat belt, based on Devon McDonald, Devon McDonald, government director of the Indiana Prison Justice Institute.

“Loads of it’s simply generally poor selections which might be made by motorists on the roadways,” McDonald stated.

McDonald added that Memorial Day Weekend is taken into account the beginning of the 100 deadliest days of summer season — which he says tends to be essentially the most harmful days for drivers to be on the roadway.

To assist struggle one reason for deadly crashes, the Prison Justice Institute has its Sober Journey Indiana Initiative. This system presents $15 {dollars} off Uber and Lyft rides in Indianapolis. The discounted rides can solely be redeemed between the hours of 5 p.m. and three a.m.

“We need to save lives. We would like folks to make sound selections to drive safely. We would like folks to decelerate, (and) take note of what they’re doing, McDonald concluded.