MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There has been a steady increase in deadly car crashes in Shelby County.
It’s caught the attention of law enforcement leaders with the Memphis Police and Tennessee Highway Patrol.
A joint press conference was held on Feb. 18, which revealed the deadly crashes numbers have gone up.
In 2019, there were 144 deadly crashes.
That number nearly doubled in 2020 to 229.
2021 saw 1 more deadly crash than 2020 with 230.
Just two months into 2022, there have been 38 deadly crashes.
Assistant Chief Don Crowe with Memphis Police told FOX13, that’s a 150% increase from the same time frame in 2020.
In terms of what is causing these deadly crashes, law enforcement said it’s multiple different factors.
Distracted driving, excessive speeding, and driving under the influence were a few examples.
The increase in crashes has led law enforcement to implement a zero-tolerance crackdown this weekend.
That means you’ll likely see more Memphis Police officers and Tennessee Highway state troopers looking to catch drivers breaking the law.
Asst. Chief Crowe told FOX13 over the past two days, officers implemented operation safe travel and made several arrests.
”Just this past Thursday and Friday, we spent two days doing operation safe travel. They made 140 stops on the interstate system in Memphis,” said Crowe.
FOX13 is continuing to dig deeper into the rise in deadly crashes in Shelby County.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
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