Turnpike crash kills one, injures 3 others

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

A multivehicle accident Friday afternoon that killed one person and injured three others forced a more than six-hour closure of the westbound lanes of the Ohio Turnpike between the Meander and Market Street interchanges.

According to 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol said a tractor-trailer failed to stop and crashed into five cars just before 3 p.m. near the Kirk Road overpass in the township.

The westbound lanes did not reopen until after 9 p.m.

“Traffic was traveling westbound. Some passenger vehicles came to a stop or slowed down for traffic,” Lt. Chad Bass told the TV station.

“The tractor-trailer was traveling in the left lane, failed to stop, and just drove through five of the vehicles that were on the bridge. One of the vehicles involved did catch fire, causing the fatality.”

The trailer of the truck also caught fire, sending smoke that could be seen from miles away by drivers caught in the traffic jam, the TV station reported.

A woman in one of the cars was killed.

One other person was taken to the hospital by medical helicopter. Two other victims were transported by ambulance. There was no information available about the names or conditions of those injured at press time.

The patrol reported that the victims with injuries were transported to different hospitals.

Traffic was diverted onto exit 234 – Interstate 680 headed to Youngstown – until the westbound lanes could reopen.

The state patrol called in an accident-reconstruction team.

The accident was where another fatal one occurred last November, according to Vindicator files. In that accident, a Maryland woman died after her car was struck during a massive crash that left five others injured.