The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) says that a multiple vehicle crash that claimed three lives yesterday afternoon was caused by driver inattention.
The crash happened on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 2, on westbound I-70 in Preble County, Ohio — near the Indiana border.
#NEW: 2 now confirmed dead in multiple-vehicle accident on I-70 West in Preble County near the Ohio-Indiana border, @OSHP says https://t.co/ndf2pVRJxg pic.twitter.com/jFyztaHexX
— WHIO-TV (@whiotv) October 2, 2019
According to OSHP, the crash happened when construction on the Indiana side of the border backed up traffic into Ohio. Two semi trucks and a Chevy Trail Blazer were in slowed traffic on westbound I-70 when a third semi truck rear-ended the Chevy Trail Blazer and pushed it into the semi trucks in front of it and then off of I-70 into the grass.
The Chevy rolled and the two people — Richard Shiverdecker, 71, and Karen Shiverdecker, 65 — inside were ejected. Both people died at the scene.
The driver of one of the semi trucks, 68 year old Robert Fryklund, had to be extracted from his vehicle and was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
One other minor injury was reported.
OSHP says that they do not believe that alcohol, drugs, or speed factored into the crash. However, Sgt. Jeff Kramer told WHIO that “It really just boils down to driver inattention.”
Westbound I-70 was shut down for hours for clean up and investigation of the crash. All lanes have since reopened.