FRANKLIN, Ohio (WXIX) - A 59-year-old woman was killed, and four other people were hurt in a chain-reaction multi-vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 75 in the northern Cincinnati suburbs, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The 5-vehicle crash was reported in the Warren County city of Franklin just after 6 a.m. Tuesday and shut down the highway for more than five hours.
The driver of a 2017 Honda Civic, Karen White of Miamisburg, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, troopers said in a news release.
The other four people hurt in the crash were all taken by ambulance to various hospitals, including one who suffered serious-life threatening injuires, according to OSHP.
Preliminary findings
The State Patrol is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.
Here are the preliminary findings, troopers said in a news release Tuesday afternoon:
The crash began when a 2019 GMC Yukon and a 2026 Chevrolet Trax stopped in the southbound left-center lane.
The 25-year-old Dayton man driving the Trax exited his vehicle while it was stopped.
Behind them, White slowed and stopped her 2017 Honda Civic behind the Chevrolet Trax.
The crash sequence was triggered when a southbound 2018 Ford Edge, driven by a 40-year-old Centerville woman, struck White’s Civic.
After the impact, the Edge continued off the right side of the highway.
The collision propelled White’s Civic forward into the parked Trax.
The Trax was pushed into its driver, who had stepped outside, striking him, before continuing forward to hit the Yukon.
The impact caused White’s Civic to rotate in the middle of the interstate, where it was struck by a southbound 2010 Ford E-150 van driven by a 34-year-old Dayton man.
The Civic then slammed into the concrete median barrier.
The Ford E-150 continued forward, ultimately striking both the Trax and the Yukon.
Serious injuries
Emergency crews took all four people who were hurt in ambulances to area hospitals.
The 25-year-old Dayton man driving the Trax went to Atrium Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and was later transferred to Miami Valley Hospital for more advanced treatment.
The 52-year-old driver of the Yukon and his 55-year-old passenger, both from Garden City, Michigan, were taken to Kettering Health Middletown with serious injuries.
The 40-year-old woman behind the wheel of the Edge went to Atrium Medical Center with serious injuries.
The 34-year-old driver of the cargo van was not hurt