Holiday weekend shows uptick in assaults, vehicle crashes

The Fourth of July weekend showed a number of assaults and vehicle crashes.

Penn State police received reports of three sexual assaults on campus between Friday and Independence Day.

The incidents occurred Friday morning at Pollock housing area, Saturday night at South housing area and Tuesday afternoon at Pollock.

Alcohol was reported to be involved in at least one of the incidents. The Friday incident involved an unknown assailant, but the perpetrator was known to the reporting party in the other two assaults, police said.

Anne Ard, executive director of the Centre County Women’s Resource Center, said summer can be similar to the fall “red zone” or the return of students from winter break in January, times that see an uptick in sexual assault reports.

“There is a whole new group of students on campus. That’s always dangerous,” Ard said. “It’s a dangerous time. They can be very easily taken advantage of, especially by people who would use drugs and alcohol to take advantage of them. There are people who are very intentional in how they use alcohol to prey on people who are unsuspecting.”

Across Pennsylvania, state police reported an uptick in something else: vehicle crashes.

In 2016, 423 total crashes were reported during the holiday period. In 2017, that number rose to 741.

In 2016, three were fatal, one involving alcohol. In 2017, it was 13, four involving alcohol.

Of the 13 fatal crashes, one happened just outside Osceola Mills on state Route 53. The three-car crash resulted in the death of Mary Caprio, 70, of Lock Haven. Police say alcohol was involved.

Centre County falls in state police Troop G, which had no fatal crashes and just one alcohol-related crash. Troop C covers Clearfield County, where the Caprio crash occurred. Troop C had two fatal crashes, both involving alcohol.

Despite the increase in alcohol incidents, the increase in DUI arrests over the holiday was modest. In 2016, there were 447 arrests. In 2017, it was 474.

This story was originally published July 6, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Holiday weekend shows uptick in assaults, vehicle crashes."