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Thanksgiving Weekend Takes Toll on Highways

Petr Katochvill,

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia State Police say 13 people were killed on Virginia's roadways over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

That's an increase over the past two years, when 11 died in 2011 and 10 in 2010.

The holiday ran from Wednesday through Sunday.

Three of those killed were pedestrians, while one was on a motorcycle. A crash in Fairfax County killed two. It was the only fatal crash on an interstate.

State police say alcohol was a factor in at least three of the crashes. Five of those killed were not wearing seat belts.

One of those killed was from Maryland and another was from Pennsylvania.

State police stepped up patrols over the weekend, resulting in nearly 10,000 speeding citations, more than 3,000 reckless driving tickets and 115 for driving under the influence.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.