Wrong-way crash kills 4 people on I-71 in central Ohio
The crash occurred early Sunday morning on Interstate 71 in Morrow County. Four people were killed and another person seriously injured in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 71 in Morrow County, Ohio. The State Highway Patrol reported that Larry Dotson, 32, was driving a 2020 Hyundai Tucson north in the southbound lanes of I-71 when he crashed head-on into a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, causing both vehicles to overturn and catch fire. Dotson and Marlee Middleton, two passengers in the Jeep, Cristal Galloso Olvera, and Ivonne Olveras, both of Columbus, were pronounced dead at the scene. The Jeep's driver, a 26-year-old Columbus man, was seriously injured and taken to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Published : a month ago by Cliff Pinckard, cpinckar, Cliff Pinckard | [email protected] in Auto
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Four people were killed and another person was seriously injured early Sunday morning in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 71 in Morrow County, according to reports.
The State Highway Patrol tells the Columbus Dispatch that the crash occurred at about 2:40 a.m. Larry Dotson, 32, of Canton, was driving a 2020 Hyundai Tucson north in the southbound lanes of I-71 when he crashed head-on into a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Dispatch reports.
The impact caused both vehicles to overturn and catch fire, WBNS Channel 10 reports. Dotson and his passenger, Marlee Middleton, 32, of Massillon, were pronounced dead at the scene, the patrol tells WBNS.
WCMH Channel 4 reports two passengers in the Jeep, 31-year-old Cristal Galloso Olvera, 31, and Ivonne Olvera, 50, both of Columbus, also were pronounced dead at the scene. The Jeep’s driver, a 26-year-old Columbus man, was seriously injured and was taken to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, reports say.
The patrol tells the Dispatch that Dotson and Middleton were not wearing seatbelts. The driver of the Jeep was wearing a seatbelt, but it’s unclear if the passengers were, reports say.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Franklin Township is about 100 miles southwest of Cleveland, north of Columbus.
Topics: Traffic