A 22-year-old man is dead following a serious accident on U.S. 35, according to local sources. Ohio police in Dayton responded to the crash, which claimed the life of one passenger. Several other people were also injured in the collision, but as with many fatal car accidents of this type, police are still investigating the cause of this crash and have not filed any charges at this point.
It appears from the report that a vehicle headed west on U.S. 35 by a 20-year-old Camden resident apparently began to drift into oncoming traffic around 3:30 p.m. This caused a collision with an eastbound minivan. The minivan struck the other vehicle on its passenger side, causing the vehicle to leave the road and enter a farm field, where it reportedly caught fire. The passenger was reported dead at the scene.
The driver of the vehicle suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a local hospital, while the occupants of the minivan suffered non life-threatening injuries. Police do not believe speed was a factor in this crash, but they are still investigating other possible causes. The road remained closed for some 2.5 hours to accommodate cleanup as well as the ongoing investigation.
If police choose to file charges against one or both drivers, those drivers could face fines, the loss of their driver’s license or even jail time. However, Ohio police do not appear to believe a crime was involved in this case. In car accidents where criminal charges are not filed, legal options remain available for victims, who are entitled under state law to file civil lawsuits for personal injury or wrongful death against the driver or drivers found materially responsible for the accident.
