A somber update comes from Stark County this holiday season as a young man loses his life following a car accident earlier in the week. Clayton P. Jacobs, a 21-year-old from Atwater, died yesterday from injuries sustained in a collision that occurred on December 19th. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Jacobs was driving a 2012 Volkswagen GTI northbound on State Route 44 when the accident happened.
The incident took place just north of State Route 619 at around 6:53 a.m. The Highway Patrol revealed recovered from his vehicle, went left of center, and collided head-on with a southbound Hyundai Elantra, driven by 74-year-old Constance Tawney of Canton. After striking the Elantra, which was forced off the west side of the road and came to a stop in a ditch, the Volkswagen that Jacobs was piloting veered off the east side of the road and overturned onto its left side, reported Cleveland19.
Following the crash, both drivers were transported to hospitals, with Jacobs being taken to Akron City Hospital, sporting serious injuries, while Tawney was taken to Akron General Hospital with what were described as minor injuries. Gary Guenther, chief investigator for the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office, confirmed Jacobs's death at 1:50 p.m. yesterday, as detailed by CantonRep.
Both individuals involved in the crash were documented as wearing safety belts at the time of the incident. While the specific causes of the crash remain undetermined, whether drugs or alcohol were contributing factors, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has mentioned that neither is suspected, with FOX8 News relaying that the crash is still under investigation.
