State police target drunken, distracted drivers
The commander of the state police says her department has stepped up patrols in an effort to crack down on drunken and distracted drivers following a series of accidents involving troopers.
One trooper has been killed and four others injured in the past two months. In four of those cases, police say alcohol was involved. A suspect is still being sought in the fifth case.
Dubbed Operation Lightning, Col. Marian McGovern said an additional four patrols in each of the state's five geographical areas have been added on Fridays and Saturdays.
The operation has already resulted in the arrests of 24 allegedly drunken drivers and 263 citations.
McGovern also reminded motorists about the state's "move over" law, requiring drivers to slow down and move to a different lane when passing an emergency vehicle.
