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236 Arrested In Michigan Drunken Driving Crackdown

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Law enforcement officials in Michigan say stepped-up patrols aimed at stopping drunken drivers around the Fourth of July resulted in 236 drunken driving arrests.

Authorities announced Thursday that law enforcement officers from nearly 160 local police departments, sheriff's offices and Michigan State Police posts stopped more than 7,800 vehicles during the two-week effort that ran from July 1 to July 13.

"Each traffic death represents a family grieving the loss of a loved one," said Michael Prince, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).  "The dedicated officers who participated in the stepped up enforcement for the Fourth of July holiday worked tirelessly to find and arrest drunk drivers before they could cause a tragedy."

Officers also made 88 drug arrests, 18 felony arrests and 145 other misdemeanor arrests during that same time period. They apprehended 179 fugitives.

Grant-funded drunk driving enforcement over the Fourth of July holiday period is part of Michigan's Strategic Highway Safety Plan signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in February 2013.

County-specific information from the drunken driving audit  is available at Michigan.gov/drunkdrivingaudit.

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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