Labor Day weekend fatalities bring summer total to 115

Posted on Sep 17, 2008

Five servicemembers died in off-duty accidents during the Labor Day weekend, bringing to 115 the number killed this year during the "101 Critical Days of Summer."

Labor Day marked the official end to the 101 Critical Days of Summer, the period between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day that typically sees a spike in vehicular and recreational accidents.

"It's the time when more people get outside and enjoy off-duty activities and more people are traveling," said John Seibert, the Defense Department's assistant for safety, health and fire. "But unfortunately, it's also a time when we see more accidents."