DAYTON — One of our cities is seeing an uptick in impaired driving, and it’s leading to dangerous situations and deadly crashes.
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Dayton police have done 16 OVI checkpoints so far this year, but it still comes down to the personal responsibility of each driver.
“Every life lost is a community forever changed,” Sgt. Gordon Cairns, supervisor of Dayton police’s traffic services unit, said.
Police said 43-year-old James Moody lost his life in a crash on Sept. 25.
The driver of a pickup ran a red light and smashed into him, driving both vehicles off the road and sending a third car into the building.
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Officers said the crash is OVI-related.
It’s why they enforce OVI and speeding laws aggressively.
“We talk about the words ‘enforcement,’ we think that is punishment, and it’s not, it’s protection,” Cairns said.
“I just think people are depressed with the drinking,” Gwendolyn Chenet said.
Chenet said it seems like people may be using alcohol more recently, but she doesn’t believe that gives anyone an excuse to then get behind the wheel.
Police said five of the 17 people killed in crashes in the city this year have OVI as a cause of the crash.
They’ve also seen a troubling increase in people pulled over for OVI offenses with guns in the car with children.
“One of the biggest messages that we try to put out is come up with a plan,” Cairns said. “It’s about assuring that every person who leaves home, makes it back safely.”
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