CT state police respond to 114 crashes so far over Labor Day weekend, make DUI arrests

If you plan to hit the roads this Labor Day weekend, Connecticut State Police are urging caution during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

“Your Connecticut State Troopers expect heavy traffic during this long holiday weekend. We remind drivers that arriving safely at their destination should always be their priority,” said Col. Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police, said in a statement. “Drivers should plan for busy road conditions and proceed with caution. Following state traffic laws is everyone’s responsibility.”

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State police said they responded to 1,604 calls for service on Friday, including more than 114 motor vehicle crashes. Of those crashes, 10 were with reported injuries and one serious injury was reported in a crash in Cromwell, police said. No fatalities have been reported by state police.

In other state police activity to date over this holiday weekend, state police handed out 187 speeding tickets and five tickets for seatbelt violations. They also issued 121 infractions for other violations, including following too closely and failure to move over, state police said. Three people have been arrested for driving under the influence.

Starting at 12 a.m. on Friday and continuing through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, troopers from each of the agency’s 11 troops plan to conduct DUI patrols, officials said. Police are also urging anyone that plans to consume alcohol or use cannabis to have a designated driver or plan to get a ride.

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Last year, there were 5,196 calls to service with 678 violations, 25 DUI arrests, 653 speeding violations, six seat belt violations, 313 motor vehicle accidents and 36 with injury, according to state police. There were also two fatalities.

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com