Pregnant woman dies in deadly Madison County crash, newborn baby critically injured

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A woman is dead and her newborn baby is in critical condition after a car crash in Madison County Saturday morning.

The West Jefferson Post of the Ohio Highway Patrol is investigating the two-vehicle, single-fatality crash that occurred on West Jefferson Kiousville Road Southeast at the intersection of Pringle Benjamin Road Southeast around 11 a.m.

A silver 2017 GMC Acadia, driven by Jessica R. Ernst, 34, of London, Ohio, was traveling northbound on West Jefferson Road SE, approaching the intersection of Pringle Benjamin Road SE. A blue 2011 Honda Civic, driven by Tyler Hoover, 18, of London, Ohio was traveling west on Benjamin Pringle Road SE when he failed to yield from the stop sign, OSHP officials said.

The GMC Acadia struck the Honda Civic before traveling off the left side of the road, overturning several times and ejecting the driver from the vehicle.

The driver of the GMC, Ernst, was eight months pregnant at the time of the crash. She was taken to Mount Carmel Grove City in critical condition, OSHP officials said.

Officials said, Ernst underwent emergency surgery and her baby was transported to Nationwide Children's Hospital in critical condition. Ernst died from her injuries at the hospital.

19-year-old Caleb A Dennison, a passenger in the Honda Civic, was taken to Grant Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Honda Civic, Hoover, was not taken to any medical facilities from the scene.

OSHP officials say that alcohol and drugs are not suspected in this incident. Ernst was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the accident.