CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Ohio State Highway Patrol continues to investigate the cause of a 51-vehicle crash on the Ohio Turnpike that killed four people last month.
The agency says 73 people were injured in the accident that happened as Winter Storm Elliott hammered northern Ohio.
“A crash of this magnitude requires a lengthy investigative process, with investigators completing many steps and actions to ensure the investigation is as detailed as possible and receives the attention it deserves – especially for those who have been negatively impacted,” a spokesman for the agency said.
Body-worn camera footage from a trooper shows wreckage from the incident, including several vehicles partially stuck under semitractor-trailers that crashed into the median as snow fell around first responders.
The patrol said a driver or occupant from nearly every vehicle involved in the crash was interviewed. Officers determined that high winds and snow caused the crash. Several operators of the commercial vehicles provided dashcam footage to the patrol, but investigators found that “a specific at-fault vehicle was not discernible,” the spokesman said.
According to a report from the patrol, the severe winter weather on Dec. 23 diminished visibility to less than a quarter of a mile, causing several vehicles to lose control and block the eastbound lanes of the toll road in Erie County. With wind gusts up to 38 miles per hour, a “chain reaction” started in which all other vehicles approaching eastbound crashed, as well, the report said.
Troopers were dispatched at about 12:30 p.m. for a call of a crash with 20 to 40 vehicles involved. The dispatch center was able to hear the cars crashing in the background, according to the police report.
Police described the roadway as smooth, as it was covered with snow and ice.
“The left and edge lane markers were not visible due to snow coverage,” the report said.
The first fatality was confirmed just before 2 p.m.
Those who died were Francisco Gutierrez-Martinez, 30, of Cleveland; Bernard M. Bloniarz, 59, of Napoleon; Julie E. Roth, 37, of Toledo; and Emma L. Smith, 19, of Webberville, Mich.
Gutierrez-Martinez was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado before the accident. He was transported to Firelands Sandusky Healthcare Center. He was later transported to MetroHealth Medical Center, where was pronounced dead.
The westbound lanes of the turnpike were closed from Sandusky to Fremont for most of the day. The eastbound lanes remained closed into the following morning, as crews worked to remove 15 commercial trucks.
Once the investigation is complete, it will be sent to Erie County prosecutors for their review, so they can determine any applicable charges.
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