Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon State Police reports it was a relatively quiet holiday weekend, judging from traffic enforcement numbers.

Gregg Hastings: "You know, the fact that one person died--one too many, really--but comparing past statistics for the the of July holiday period, there was quite a significant drop in the number of people who were killed in crashes here in Oregon."

Lt. Gregg Hastings says it's not uncommon for as many as a dozen or more people to be killed in auto accidents over the July 4th weekend.

This year two people died in two separate fatal traffic crashes during the 54-hour Fourth of July holiday reporting period.

A motorcyclist from Baker City who struck a fog marker and was thrown from his bike Saturday night, and a 26-year old Medford man died after the vehicle he was a passenger in left the roadway and crashed into a tree. 

Crashes were also running a bit below average, 76 over the 78-hour reporting period. The number of people arrested for DUI was about average -- 76.

Hastings says more officers than usual were out on patrol, between the Oregon State Police, and local departments.