AKRON, Ohio — Three people were killed in separate crashes within a 24-hour period, including one involving a fire truck, according to the Akron Police Department.
The first crash happened at around 1:30 p.m. Thursday on I-76 westbound near the Route 8 entrance ramp. Three vehicles were involved.
A Chevrolet Silverado, driven by a 57-year-old male, was traveling west on I-76 under the Hoban Walk Bridge when it passed a vehicle on the right shoulder before swerving into traffic.
The Silverado clipped the back corner of a Dodge Ram pickup, driven by a 27-year-old woman, causing it to spin and hit a guardrail.
Police said the Silverado then drove through the median and into the path of a Ford delivery van on I-76 eastbound, sideswiping the van, which caused it to hit the guardrail and rollover.
The Silverado went off the road and struck a concrete wall of the Route 8 ramp from I-76 eastbound.
The 57-year-old driver was killed on impact. Police said he was wearing a seat belt.
The driver of the Dodge Ram was not injured. The driver did accompany a 7-year-old to the hospital for a medical evaluation.
------
The second crash happened at approximately 3:35 p.m. on I-76 eastbound just after the Lakeshore Boulevard exit ramp, police said. During heavy traffic, a Ford box truck stalled out in the center lane.
Police said the driver of the box truck, identified as a 57-year-old male, got out of the vehicle and placed triangle reflectors out to help alert traffic.
Moments later, police said a Dodge Neon, driven by a 25-year-old male, approached the area and was unable to stop before crashing into the back of the truck, killing the driver of the Neon on impact, police said.
The driver of the box truck was out of the vehicle standing on the side of the roadway and was not injured, officials said.
Speed appears to be a factor, according to police. It’s unknown if alcohol or drugs played a factor in the crash.
-------
The third crash involved an Akron Fire Department truck.
Officers responded Thursday at approximately 10:35 p.m. to a two-car crash involving a fire truck in the 200 block of East North Street.
The fire truck, Engine 2, was traveling east on North Street when a second vehicle, a Toyota Highlander traveling west, drifted and crossed the yellow line and struck the side of the fire truck, police said.
Fire personnel were not injured, but the 29-year-old woman driving the Highlander was later pronounced dead at Summa Health Akron City Hospital, officials said.
A 3-year-old child was hospitalized with minor injuries, according to police.
Police said it is unknown at this time if speed was a factor in the crash.
------
In all three crashes, the medical examiner is conducting autopsies before positively identifying the victims.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
