AURORA, Ohio — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred in Aurora Friday morning.
Around 10:21 a.m., a 2020 Freightliner box truck was traveling south on state Route 43. The truck stopped in the right lane with its hazard lights flashing, waiting to pull into a driveway to make a delivery, according to troopers.
At the same time, a 2015 Ford F-250 owned by the city of Aurora and assigned to the fire department was traveling north in the left lane of SR 43 with its emergency lights on and sirens activated responding to an emergency call, troopers said.
Troopers said a 2004 Honda Accord was traveling south on SR 43 in the right lane and failed to maintain an assured clear distance and struck the left rear of the stopped box truck. The impact caused the Honda to travel left of center and strike the Ford head on, causing it to overturn in its passenger side, according to troopers.
The driver of the box truck and Ford were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. The driver of the box truck was not injured and the driver of the Ford sustained minor injuries, troopers said.
The driver of the Honda, Jesse Haley, 20, of Aurora, was not wearing a seat belt and died from injuries sustained in the crash, according to troopers.
Haley is the seventh person to die in Portage County from failing to wear a seat belt properly, troopers said.
“How many times will we have to have the devastating conversation that a life was lost due to not properly wearing a safety belt? First responders should not have to experience and deliver the painful message that a loved one has been killed simply because people refuse to follow the law” said Lt. Jeffrey Greene in a press release.
