The Ohio State Highway Patrol has disclosed the identity of a 59-year-old man from the Cleveland area as the driver involved in a fatal accident that took the life of 78-year-old Dennis Alsept. The incident, a hit-and-run that occurred on Interstate 77 near Strasburg on October 24, resulted in Alsept's death a week later due to sustained injuries, FOX 8 reports.
As WKYC detailed, the semi-truck, a red semi-tractor pulling a flatbed trailer, was caught on an ODOT video traveling north before the collision. The accident took place when the driver made an illegal U-turn through a median crossover on the interstate, which caused Alsept, who was operating a white Kia SUV in another lane, to collide with the trailer.
After the crash, the semi-truck driver vacated the scene and was subsequently found following an extensive search by the authorities with aid from local community members and businesses. As a result of the investigation, the case has been handed to the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor’s Office, which is now reviewing it for potential criminal charges, Cleveland 19 disclosed.
During a past interview with a family member, "He was a great man, he loved his family," recounted Alsept’s son-in-law, Andy Donaldson. "His family was his everything," Donaldson told Cleveland 19. The Ohio State Highway Patrol has stated that accidents do occur, but the actions taken by the semi-truck driver in the wake of this accident compounded its severity.
