Earlier this morning, a severe traffic incident involving a semi-truck and a disabled car on the I-71 southbound off-ramp near SR-37 led to serious injuries for a Delaware County Sheriff's deputy and a civilian. NBC4i reported the crash occurred shortly after 4 a.m. and resulted in the immediate closure of the ramp as the Ohio State Highway Patrol conducted investigations at the scene during the investigation of a prior unrelated accident on the highway, a 2017 Freightliner Cascadia, managed by Stephanie Cardenaz, 51, veered off the road and struck the deputy and the Toyota Camry belonging to Patrick O'Neal, 64, that was stationary due to an earlier collision.
According to ABC6, the deputy was alongside another deputy. Both were assisting with the initial accident, which involved O'Neal's Camry. Their squad cars' emergency lights were activated when Cardenas lost control of the semi, which then jackknifed off the road, impacting the Toyota and the deputy. The injured deputy and O'Neal were taken to Grant Medical Center with serious injuries, the deputy in serious condition but not life-threatening, in contrast to the truck driver, Cardenaz, who was reportedly uninjured in the mayhem that unfolded.
The traffic disruption from this incident extended beyond the immediate vicinity of the crash. Local Olentangy Schools faced delays, with multiple buses finding their schedules impacted by the closed roads. As reported by 10TV, the school district took to social media to alert that the crash may contribute to considerable delays in the pick-up and arrival times of school transportation services for high and middle school students.
While the morning's accidents drew to a close, and the lanes on I-71 and US-36/SR-37 exit reopened shortly before 8:15 a.m.
