UNDATED – Montana is the worst state for drink driving deaths, new research has revealed.
The study, by California-based criminal defense law firm Simmrin Law Group, analyzed the latest available data from FARS on the number of drivers involved in deadly crashes who were under the influence of alcohol.
It revealed that out of the 1,187 drivers who were involved in fatal accidents between 2017 and 2021 in Montana, 373 were found to be under the influence of alcohol. That translates to 31.42% of drunk drivers in deadly vehicle crashes in the state – the highest rate in the nation, with no other state seeing a rate higher than 30%.
South Dakota has the second highest percentage of drunk drivers involved in fatal accidents, with 204 out of 806 drivers having alcohol in their system, which equates to 25.31%. The data revealed that 2020 was the year with the highest number of drivers under the influence of alcohol involved in deadly crashes, with 51.
In third place is Wyoming, where 21.69% of drivers in fatal crashes between 2017 and 2021 were found to be over the legal limit. There were 779 people driving vehicles involved in deadly accidents, and 169 were found to have been drinking alcohol.
The state with the fourth highest percentage of drunk drivers involved in deadly traffic accidents is Vermont, as 92 out of 428 drivers involved in deadly crashes were found to have consumed alcohol – a rate of 21.5%.
North Dakota places fifth and is the final state where more than one in five drivers in fatal crashes had been drinking prior to it. There were 690 total drivers in deadly road accidents in the state, and 142 were under the influence of alcohol, which is a rate of 20.58%.
At the other end of the scale, Mississippi had the lowest percentage of drunk drivers involved in fatal accidents, at just 6.97%. There were 4,663 drivers in the crashes measured over the five year period, and 325 were found to have alcohol in their system.
New York had the next lowest rate of drunk drivers in crashes that caused someone’s death, with 7.59% – 525 out of 6,920, while Illinois had the third lowest rate, at 8.1%.
HUMBOLDT, SD – One man is dead and another man and woman are hurt following a house explosion that occurred south of Humbolt on Wednesday morning and could be felt from miles away.
The two victims who survived had to be taken to the hospital by helicopter.
Investigators continue to sift through the debris looking for answers as to what caused the house to explode.
“There’s a chance it exploded shortly after 5 this morning,” Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead said.
There is nothing left of this house.
It was flattened by an explosion.
Someone driving by called 9-1-1 about two hours later and immediately responded on his own.
Counselors are being made available to help anyone of the first responders, including the passerby who reported the incident and pulled two of the victims from the debris.
VERMILLION, SD – A 25-year-old suspect in a shooting that killed two people in Virginia last month was arrested in Vermillion Wednesday morning, according to the U.S Marshals Service.
Edward Denoyer has been indicted on additional charges regarding this homicide investigation.
Authorities state Denoyer is charged with two counts of First Degree Murder, one count of Malicious Wounding, and three counts of Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony.
The homicides occurred Sept. 17 in Roanoke, Virginia, after which Denoyer fled the state.
Several other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies assisted the US Marshals Service Dakota Territory Fugitive Task Force in capturing Denoyer.
Denoyer was taken to the Clay County Jail, awaiting his initial court appearance and extradition to Virginia.
RAPID CITY, SD – On Wednesday, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office released its crime statistics for the third quarter of 2023.
While the Pennington County Jail stays at or near capacity, numbers have decreased for most types of crime. Overall, Pennington County has seen small decreases in aggravated assault and non-motor vehicle theft. However, burglaries saw a 75% increase, and motor vehicle thefts saw a 4% increase.
“Burglaries are related to an occupied structure, which is a residence, or a detached garage would be another form of burglary. Those are what we typically see in a lot of cases. Then with the motor vehicle thefts, we see a lot of keys being left in vehicles unfortunately,” said Dustin Morrison, investigations captain for Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
While motor vehicle theft and burglaries increased, admissions at the Care Campus decreased. Care Campus helps people overcome their various struggles and get back into the community. According to Willie Whelchel, chief deputy for the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, a 9% decrease in total admissions means the work they’re doing, is working.
“We’ve always said when we started the Care Campus that it was going to be a hand up, not a handout. We’re going to provide services, we’re going to do everything in our power to get people out of the rut that they’re in,” said Whelchel.
The third-quarter crime statistics also showed decreases in motor vehicle thefts and burglary, but an increase in robberies and non-motor vehicle thefts.
