Victims in Austintown fatal crash identified

Staff report

An elderly couple died instantly in a late morning crash in Austintown Thursday.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the victims as Irven B. Wilhelm, 78, of Deerfield, and Evelyn L. Wilhelm, 76, of Deerfield, in a Chevy pickup truck. The driver of the Penske truck was Larry L. Lawrence, 67, of Greenville, Pa.

Dr. Joseph Ohr, Mahoning County forensic patholigist, said the Wilhelms’ truck was eastbound on Mahoning Avenue in the right lane, west of Turner Road, when it went left of center.

“They lost control of the vehicle, sliding across the road [and] coming in front of the Penske truck,” Dr. Ohr said. That Penske truck was westbound in the right lane on Mahoning Avenue; that driver suffered no injuries.