GEORGIA, — According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety (GDPS), the Labor Day holiday weekend ended with 20 traffic fatalities across the state, a slight decrease from the 21 deaths reported in 2023.
The holiday travel period ran from Friday, August 30, at 6 p.m. to Monday, September 2, at 11:59 p.m.
Statewide, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Troopers investigated nine fatal crashes this year, resulting in 13 deaths. Local law enforcement agencies reported seven additional fatalities across seven separate incidents, bringing the total number of fatalities statewide to 20.
In 2023, Georgia saw 21 fatalities during the Labor Day weekend, including a tragic incident in Gwinnett County where five teenagers died after a truck fell 50 feet from a ramp onto an exit lane on I-85. This year, the overall fatality count dropped by one, with 20 lives lost.
Law Enforcement Response and Traffic Statistics
This year, GSP Troopers responded to more than 550 traffic crashes, resulting in over 200 people getting hurt. Comparatively, in 2023, there were more than 300 traffic crashes, resulting in nearly 200 injuries.
GDPS reported that in 2024, Troopers and Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) officers made more than 24,000 traffic stops, issued over 13,000 citations and nearly 14,000 warnings, and arrested over 480 drivers for driving under the influence. This marks an increase in traffic enforcement compared to 2023, when at least 16,000 traffic stops were conducted, and over 9,000 citations were issued.
- LaFayette: 1 fatality
- Hartwell: 2 fatalities
- Dunwoody, Morrow: 2 fatalities
- Bibb County, Pike County: 2 fatalities
- Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale Counties: 3 fatalities
- Thomasville: 2 fatalities
- Tifton, Valdosta: 4 fatalities
- Reidsville, Brunswick: 5 fatalities
