St. Patrick’s Day and the State Patrol

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – St. Patrick’s Day is a festive holiday that takes place every March 17th and many people like to celebrate the occasion with alcohol.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Sergeant William Howard talked about some of the driving issues associated with the holiday.  

“In the past 5 years there have been 9 fatal crashes in the state involving drinking and driving on St. Patrick’s Day. 311 arrests in the past four years just for drinking and driving,” Howard said.

St Patrick’s Day in Ohio can deliver freezing temperatures but this year calls for a warm, rainy weekend with skies clearing for the holiday on Monday. 

“Getting arrested for OVI typically involves a jail sentence or fines through the court system,” Howard said. “The more serious consequences typically are from hurting yourself or somebody else.”

If you plan to celebrate the holiday with others, Howard recommends planning ahead and having a designated driver or maybe even a taxi or Uber service available to shuttle you around safely.