After a sharp decline in traffic fatalities in 2024, Portage County experienced a grim 2025 on its roadways: 17 fatal crashes resulting in 18 total deaths. And it was the usual culprits of impaired and distracted driving that claimed most of the lives.
According to the Portage County Fatal Crash Review Board’s annual report that was released Feb. 12, 10 of Portage County’s 17 fatal crashes in 2025 involved alcohol or drugs. “These are not accidents. They are choices that forever change families and communities,” Portage County Prosecutor Connie Lewandowski said.
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