COLUMBIA, S.C. - The state Highway Patrol is sending more troopers to Newberry County after a surge in traffic fatalities has made its roads some of the most dangerous in the state.

Ten people have died on Newberry County roads this year through Sunday. That number is higher than the combined total of traffic deaths in the same period for the previous three years, according to the Department of Public Safety.

A similar effort could be started later in Georgetown County where four people were killed in a collision Monday morning, Public Safety spokesman Sid Gauldin said.

More troopers rolled into Newberry County starting Monday. The crackdown will continue until May 23, Gauldin said.

Speeding, alcohol use and failure to use seat belts have contributed to many deaths, while budget cuts have led to a dwindling number of troopers in Newberry County and the rest of the state, officials said.

Also Newberry County, which includes a long stretch of Interstate 26 between Columbia and Spartanburg, is growing rapidly, Gauldin said.

"We don't have enough people working the roads," Gauldin said.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster also plans to join in the effort.

Normally, rural sheriff's departments do not handle traffic patrol, but Foster said many people in the county have complained.

"It's a terrible thing," said Foster of the high number of fatalities. "I can't just sit by."

This summer, Foster plans to give some of his deputies radar units.

One of the biggest problem areas is Silverstreet, where Mayor Janice Havird complained about drivers racing through town.

Silverstreet lies between Newberry and Greenwood and does not have a police department, Foster said. Its population is about 100, including many seniors.

The speed limit is 35 mph, but some drivers race through town at double the limit, Havird said.