The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) recognized several local law enforcement officers at the 2019 Governor’s Impaired Driving Enforcement Awards Ceremony in Lexington Thursday.
Officials presented awards to the following individuals in their division:
– Trigg County Sheriff’s Sergeant David Tomlinson
– Hopkinsville Police Sergeant Federico Rodriguez
– Oak Grove Police Department Patrolman Danny Collings
– Princeton Police Senior Officer Evan Head
– Eddyville Police Officer Shannon Oliver
– Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputy Seth P’Pool
– Todd County Sheriff’s Deputy Patrick Turner
The local officers were among more than 200 officers from more than 180 agencies across the Commonwealth who had the most impaired-driving arrests in each agency.
KOHS Acting Director Jason Siwula says that it’s about more than just receiving an award, it’s about saving lives, which is what happens every time an officer arrests an impaired driver. Last year in Kentucky, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, there were 4,742 crashes related to impaired driving, resulting in 2,415 injuries and 124 deaths. The findings are an overall decrease compared to 2017’s 5,350 reported crashes, which resulted in 2,781 injuries and 154 deaths.
KOHS, Kentucky State Police, and local law enforcement agencies will be partnering together for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over holiday enforcement campaign and will be out in full-force December 13th through January 1st watching for any moving hazardous violations, with an emphasis on impaired driving.