Highway patrol investigating two fatal accidents

June 8, 2012 at 9:48a.m.

SOUTHINGTON

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating two fatal accidents Thursday night — one that killed Marc Titus, a Warren firefighter and president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 204.

Titus, 46, of Cortland, was killed when his motorcycle struck a semi tractor hauling a dump trailer that overturned in the nortbound lane of state Route 11 near the King-Graves overpass in Fowler Township.

The tractor-trailer struck the overpass because its dump bed was partially in the upright position, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which is investigating the accident.

Titus was also traveling northbound a short time later and struck the overturned tractor trailer, ejecting Titus, who was not wearing a helmet. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident occurred at 11:22 p.m.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, James Black Jr., 49, of Sharon, Pa., was transported to ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was in stable condition Friday morning.

Ken Nussle, Warren fire chief said Titus had worked for the Warren Fire Department since April of 1991 and was father of three girls.

“Obviously we are deeply saddened,” Nussle said Friday morning.

The other accident happened about 4 1/2 hours earlier in Vienna Township, about five miles south of the King-Graves Road accident.

Robert S. Jones, 42, of Vienna, died in a one-vehicle accident at 6:55 p.m. on Niles-Vienna Road just east of state Route 11 in Vienna Township.

Jones was transported to St. Elizabeth Health Center after the crash and died early Friday morning.

Jones was driving a 1996 Chevrolet Blazer northbound when he failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle drove off the right side of the road and then off the left side. The vehicle struck a guard rail and overturned several times, causing significant damage to the vehicle. The vehicle also caught on fire, which was extinguished by the Vienna Township Fire Department.

Jones was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected during the accident.