Police ID victims, driver involved in fiery Friday crash

AUSTINTOWN — The Ohio State Highway Patrol has released the names of the victims involved in a fatal multivehicle crash that occurred on the Ohio Turnpike Friday afternoon.

Troopers responded to a six-vehicle crash on Interstate 76 near milepost 223, near the Kirk Road overpass, at about 2:45 p.m. The trailer of a commercial truck was on fire with another vehicle trapped underneath it. Four other vehicles were either partially in the left or right lanes.

Stacy Gardner, 44 of Massillon, Ohio, was was pronounced dead on scene. She was a far rear seat passenger of the vehicle trapped underneath the trailer.

Michael Gardner, 45, of Massillon, Ohio, was the driver of the trapped vehicle. He was transported to Cleveland Metro Health Medical Center by Metro Life and is listed in serious condition. Two minor children, traveling with Gardner, were treated and released for minor injuries.

Elizabeth Barber, 61, of Philadelphia and three additional occupants - two of them minors - were transported to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for minor injuries.

Ruth Woods, 27, of Warren, was another driver transported to the hospital with possible serious injuries.

Rahmatkarn Dhillon, 23, of British Columbia in Canada was the driver of the commercial truck. He and two other drivers, Linda Gilboy of New Kensington, Pa., and Christopher Ksepka of Third Lake, Ill., sustained no injuries.

The Patrol reported that all vehicles involved were traveling westbound on the Ohio Turnpike at the time of the crash. Five of those vehicles slowed down for lane closure but the commercial truck apparently failed to stop and proceeded down the middle of both lanes striking the vehicles before coming to a rest partially in the right lane, police said. The vehicle trapped underneath the truck caught fire, which spread to the trailer.

Assisting at the scene were Austintown Fire Department, Lane Life EMS and Metro Life Flight. The Ohio Turnpike Infrastructure Commission and their maintenance workers were also on scene.

The accident closed all westbound lanes for more than eight hours and traffic was diverted to complete the on scene investigation.

The crash remains under investigation.