Two people were badly hurt after a serious crash on the evening of Feb. 23. The Ohio State Patrol has confirmed two people were injured in the crash, which involved both a passenger car and a tractor-trailer. Alcohol does not seem to have been a factor in the accident, but police are continuing their investigation. Charges could still be forthcoming.
According to the accident report, a vehicle driven by a 74-year-old woman and carrying a 76-year-old male passenger was headed eastbound on Interstate 80 near Toledo Express Airport around 5:30 p.m. when the accident occurred. A tractor-trailer driven by a 31-year-old man reportedly rear-ended the older couple’s vehicle with enough force to cause injuries to both individuals. The woman was airlifted to a local hospital and the man was taken by ambulance.
The tractor-trailer driver was not injured. Police believe the couple were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. For the moment, police are unsure what caused the accident. No further information was immediately available.
Ohio authorities will attempt to determine whether the driver of the tractor-trailer was indeed responsible for the crash. If they find sufficient cause, he could face criminal charges. Separately, the injured couple are entitled under state law to file personal injury lawsuits against him and possibly his or her employer in civil court, even if he is not criminally charged. Evidence of negligence that is determined to have been the proximate cause of the accident is required in order to formally establish liability against any defendants.
