Tri-Cities police braced for drunk drivers over New Year’s weekend. How it turned out

New Year’s Eve was relatively quiet after a Christmas weekend marked by drunk drivers and wrong-way crashes.

The Washington State Patrol arrested two people for DUI and no reported wrecks.

“It was pretty amazing,” Trooper Chris Thorson told the Tri-City Herald, adding that they were happy that no one was seriously hurt over the three-day weekend.

Across the Tri-Cities, there was a drop in the number of people booked into the Benton and Franklin county jails for driving under the influence . There were 11 during the Christmas holiday and 7 during New Year’s weekend. Four of the seven were booked early Monday, on New Year’s Day.

The Washington State Patrol had braced for a potentially rough New Year’s weekend investigating two serious wrong-way crashes, one just north of the blue bridge on Highway 395 and another on Interstate 82.

Troopers conducted emphasis patrols in the region last weekend, aiming to catch drunk drivers.