Fatal accident shuts down I-680 section

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A fatal accident in which a car split in half on Interstate 680 northbound shut down part of the highway, diverting some traffic Tuesday night.

Lt. Bill Ross of the Youngstown Police Department’s Traffic Bureau said it was a male driver of a Dodge Challenger who was killed in the accident.

The accident happened about 8 p.m. near the East Indianola Avenue bridge, which passes over the interstate.

Several police and firefighters responded to the scene and closed off the highway between East Midlothian Boulevard and Shirley Road.

Investigators examined and took photos of the surrounding area, as the body was covered with a white sheet near the wreckage.

Ross said they were investigating the cause of the crash and would not identify the driver until his family was notified.

A witness at the scene said the driver was speeding and hit the corner of the Indianola bridge, which split his car in half.

He added that it appeared the driver had not lost control of the vehicle, and also was not struggling to regain it when he hit the corner underneath the bridge.