An 18-year-old New Philadelphia driver was killed last Friday evening after her car left the roadway and overturned on a rural Carroll County road, authorities said. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, while a passenger suffered only minor injuries.
What troopers say happened
Troopers with the New Philadelphia post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the single-vehicle crash occurred at about 6:38 p.m. Friday on County Road 22 (Azalea Road) just west of the village of Leesville in Orange Township. According to the Canton Repository, the eastbound 2012 Volkswagen Passat crossed the center line, went off the left side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned. The driver was ejected and later pronounced dead at the scene by the Carroll County coroner's office.
Passenger, emergency response and hospital
Local fire crews and county responders assisted troopers at the scene as crews worked to clear the roadway and tend to the injured. As reported by Jordan Miller News, the passenger, identified as 18-year-old Charity Kulig of Midvale, sustained minor injuries and was taken by Bowerston firefighters to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton for treatment.
Seat belts, suspected causes and investigation
The Ohio State Highway Patrol told reporters the driver was not wearing a safety belt and that alcohol is not suspected. The crash remains under investigation, with investigators working to determine whether speed, roadway conditions or another factor contributed to the vehicle leaving the roadway, according to Jordan Miller News.
Why this matters
Troopers and safety advocates note that ejections and fatal outcomes are far more likely when occupants are unrestrained, and that vehicles running off the roadway are a common cause of deadly crashes. For statewide context, the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Safety Belt Dashboard and crash data track unbelted fatalities and other trends troopers cite when urging drivers to buckle up on every trip. More information is available from the Patrol’s dashboard on the Ohio State Highway Patrol site.
