State Patrol Unveils Crucial Details on Fatal I-70 Crash in Ohio: Unmasking the Driver

The Ohio State Highway Patrol has provided additional information regarding the fatal accident on Interstate 70. They have disclosed details about the sequence of events leading up to the crash and have identified most of the drivers involved.

Apart from the bus and semi-truck involved in the collision, a commercial vehicle belonging to G.A. Wintzer & Sons, a Wapakoneta-based manufacturer of farm and pet feed ingredients, oils, and biofuels, was also hit during the incident. Brandon Marchal, a 37-year-old resident of Wapakoneta, was the driver of this commercial vehicle.

According to the state patrol, a passenger vehicle driven by Robert Wolverton, a 75-year-old individual from Heath, was also struck during the crash. Wolverton was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

The bus, operated by Donald Wagler from Hartville and owned by Pioneer Trails based in Millersburg, was carrying Wagler along with 54 students and chaperones from Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools. Unfortunately, three passengers on the bus were declared deceased at the accident scene.

The semi-truck, which caught fire, was owned by Mid-State Systems from Hebron and driven by Jacob McDonald, a 60-year-old resident of Zanesville.

The patrol has not released the identity of the driver of the SUV, which was carrying the chaperones who tragically lost their lives in the crash and subsequent fire.

Out of the two commercial vehicles involved, one driver was taken to OhioHealth’s Grant Medical Center in downtown Columbus with non-life-threatening injuries. The other driver was treated and released at the scene. Additionally, the driver of the second passenger vehicle was transported to a local hospital.

Kenny Bragg, the lead investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed that all drivers involved in the crash held valid licenses during a briefing on Wednesday afternoon.

The state patrol reported that all vehicles were traveling westbound on I-70 at the time of the crash, which occurred around 8:52 a.m. Furthermore, at least three of the vehicles involved in the accident caught fire.

For more information on dangerous highways in Ohio, please refer to the related article: “After I-70 bus crash, what are the most dangerous highways in Ohio?”

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

This article was originally published on The Columbus Dispatch: “Who was driving? State patrol releases new info on deadly Ohio crash.”