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Quiet Fourth of July weekend locally

July 5, 2011 Areawide, Local News No Comments

police-cruiser Although no fatalities occurred in Connecticut over the Fourth of July weekend, drunk driving arrests nearly doubled from last year statewide.

“Our guys were out in full force doing their job,” said Connecticut State Police spokesman Trooper Kelly Grant this morning.

In all, state police reported a total of 310 accidents, 255 seatbelt tickets, 2,005 speeding tickets and 77 drunk driving arrests over the holiday from Friday at midnight until 11:59 p.m. Monday.

Local residents, however, appear to have played it relatively safely, according to local law enforcers this morning.

Willimantic Police Sgt. Jack Reed described the holiday weekend as “quite swell, quite lovely.”

Reed reported that city police had only one drunken driving arrest, one breach of peace and a few minor drug-related incidents.

“I was surprised, I thought I was going to have to come in at 4 in the morning to do paper work,” Reed said.

Firefighters, EMTs and divers did have to respond to an overturned canoe on Coventry Lake late Monday afternoon.

Luckily, three out-of-town individuals suffered only frayed nerves in the incident, the cause of which is unknown.

Each of the boaters was wearing a personal floatation device, according to Coventry Volunteer Fire Association Chief Joseph Carilli this morning.

Otherwise, Coventry was quiet over the holiday weekend, according to Coventry Police Chief Mark Palmer.

“I haven’t been made aware of any (major) issues,” he said.

The Mansfield Resident Trooper’s Office reported no incidents.

In 2010, Connecticut State Police reported 187 automobile accidents, four with fatalities and 46 DUIs over the holiday weekend.

Posted 7-5-2011

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