Tragedy struck on a Greene County road Saturday morning when a U-Haul truck collided with a semi-trailer resulting in the deaths of two Wisconsin residents. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred around 8:39 a.m. on U.S. 35 near North Valley Road. The victims were identified as Val Vern McLuff, 78, and Veronica L. Smith, 64, who were pronounced dead at the scene. WHIO reported that a dog also perished in the accident.
The circumstances of the collision are still being pieced together by authorities. Reports from the scene indicated that McLuff was driving the U-Haul truck which was towing a trailer and slammed into the rear of a stationary semi-trailer, waiting at a red light. Sitting at the intersection of U.S. 35 and North Valley Road, the semi-driver, who was operating a commercial truck pulling an enclosed box trailer, came away from the crash uninjured. WLWT detailed that both victims hailed from Superior, Wisconsin, though their intended destination at the time of the crash has not been disclosed.
State troopers have clarified that neither high speed nor impairment from drugs or alcohol are suspected to be contributing factors to the crash. As for the investigation, multiple agencies responded to the distressing incident, including the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Greene County Coroner's Office. The ensuing investigation led to lane closures on U.S. 35 East, disrupting traffic for several hours as detailed by the WDTN. Recovery efforts and preliminary assessments were aided by the Greene County Sheriff's Office and Beavercreek Township Fire and EMS.
