10 deadly crashes reported over New Year’s holiday in Ohio

Ten people were killed on Ohio roadways over the New Year’s holiday, more than double reported last year, according to preliminary data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Two victims were not wearing a seat belt and five were pedestrians.

Four of the crashes were related to OVIs, according to OSHP.

The four-day reporting period started at midnight on Dec. 31 and ended at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. Four fatalities were reported during the two-day reporting period last year.

Over the holiday troopers made 303 OVI arrests and 115 distracted driving and 478 seat belt citations.

Warren County had the fifth most incidents reported in the state (324) and Montgomery County was ninth (266 incidents). There were 12,306 total incidents reported.

A crash in Miami County was the only fatality reported in the region. The other crashes took place in Franklin, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Wayne, Summit and Columbiana counties.

On New Year’s Day Miami Count Sheriff’s deputies responded to South Rangeline Road near state Route 55 after a pickup truck crashed into a guardrail.

Noah Trader, 21, of Ludlow Falls, was ejected from the truck, which continued down the guardrail before going down an embankment, said Sheriff Dave Duchak.

Weather is believed to be a factor in the crash.

Another crash was reported less than an hour later nearby in the 6000 block of Kessler-Frederick Road.

Christopher Butler, 38, of Troy, was driving north when his vehicle went off the road and hit a utility pole. The vehicle “bounced” and hit a second pole, causing it to snap and brining down power lines, Duchak said.

Butler survived the crash and was able to get out of the vehicle, but was apparently electrocuted by a live power line.

He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause and manner of his death have not been determined at this time, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

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