The Thanksgiving holiday was deadly on the state’s roads. Fatal traffic crashes were up by nearly 78% from the past two years. The Highway Patrol reports at least 16 people were killed in 11 fatal traffic accidents across the Buckeye State. Seven of those who died in crashes during the five-day holiday reporting period from Wednesday through Sunday were not wearing seat belts. One of those killed was a pedestrian. This Thanksgiving weekend’s death toll is an increase over the nine killed on the roads in each of the past two years. Troopers also arrested 542 drivers for operating a vehicle while impaired, a jump of more than 15 percent over last year. Troopers also made almost 300 drug arrests, a nearly 45 percent increase over the numbers from last year. Copyright 2017 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.