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Also, the state patrol said, those who host Super Bowl parties Sunday should assure their guests have a safe ride home and never serve alcohol to someone under the legal drinking age of 21.
During last year’s Super Bowl, the state patrol made 50 OVI arrests from 6 a.m. Feb. 7, 2016 through 6 a.m. Feb. 8, 2016. During the 24-hour reporting period, there were two fatalities and 156 injuries resulting from traffic crashes. Both of the traffic fatalities and 23 of the injuries were OVI-related, the patrol said.
On the last five Super Bowl Sundays, the OSHP made 237 OVI arrests, and there were 11 traffic fatalities, seven of them OVI-related.
Col. Paul A. Pride, patrol superintendent, said the agency is committed to “removing impaired drivers” from the roadway. “Your decision to not drive impaired shows that you value your own safety as well as the safety of motorists around you. You can also influence your friends and family to make the same choice.”
The public is encouraged to use #677 to report dangerous or impaired drivers or drug activity.
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Last year in Butler County, there were 22 crash-related fatalities and eight were blamed on OVI. In 2015, there were 28 fatalities on Butler County roads and 11 were alcohol-related.
In Warren County, there were 17 fatalities in 2016, and three were alcohol related. There were 14 fatalities in 2015 and four were alcohol related, according to the state patrol.
A Butler County attorney said those who host Super Bowl parties need to be mindful their guests don’t leave intoxicated. If that person is involved in an accident, and it can be proved they left the party intoxicated, the host could be liable, said Rocky Ball from Combs, Schaefer, Ball and Little.
Ball said this type of civil liability case would be “fact sensitive,” meaning it would have to be proved the party host knowingly over served a guest and let that person leave the party intoxicated.
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He said those who host parties should watch their guests and their level of intoxication.
“Don’t feed into that,” Ball suggested. “Don’t contribute to that negligence.”
The New England Patriots play the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in Houston. Kick off is set for 6:30 p.m.
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