With more than a thousand total contacts between troopers and motorists over Memorial Day Weekend, the Washington State Patrol’s District 8 had a busy few days on Washington’s highways.

“This is one of the busier Memorial Days since the pandemic,” said Trooper Joshua H. Magerstaedt in an email. “I believe it’s consistent with pre-pandemic levels of travel.”

Looking from May 26 to May 29, District 8 troopers had:

Total contacts: 1027

Speed contacts: 814

Aggressive drivers: 265

Seat belt violations: 58

Distracted driving violations: 17

Collisions: 30 (1 fatal)

“In the spectrum of holidays that are on our radar, I would say in terms of traffic concerns MDW and Labor day weekend are the big two for summer,” Magerstaedt said. “Fourth of July tends to depend on the day it falls on.”

The weekend comes in an industrious year for the District 8 troopers, stated a WSP news release. District 8 provides services to Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties

“So far in 2023, District 8 troopers have investigated more than 855 collisions, 202 have resulted in injury, and five were fatal collisions,” the news release stated. “District 8 troopers have also made a total of 467 driving while under the influence arrests.”

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.