A violent head-on collision on U.S. Route 250 in Sugarcreek Township has claimed the life of a New Philadelphia man and left several others injured, according to troopers. Gaspar Cedillo Lopez, 28, was riding in the front passenger seat of a 2002 Toyota RAV4 that investigators say crossed the center line and slammed into a southeastbound 2024 GMC Sierra on Thursday afternoon. He was taken to Aultman Hospital, where he died Friday. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is handling the investigation.
Troopers reported that at about 3:43 p.m., the RAV4 went left of center and struck the GMC head-on, ejecting three of the four people inside the Toyota. The right-front passenger, who was not thrown from the vehicle, had to be extricated by firefighters. The GMC driver, identified as Lonnie A. Smith, 31, of Clinton Township, Michigan, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Mercy Hospital. Beach City Fire/EMS, Wilmot EMS, Strasburg EMS and Tracer’s Towing responded to the scene, and the RAV4 driver has not yet been publicly identified, according to Jordan Miller News.
Seat belts and ejection risk
Investigators said the RAV4 occupants were not wearing seat belts, a detail that safety experts routinely flag as a major factor in serious crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety notes that seat belts sharply cut the risk of fatal injury and that people who are thrown from a vehicle in a crash face far greater odds of dying. It is the kind of outcome that reinforces why troopers so often repeat their buckle-up warnings after wrecks like this one (IIHS).
Investigation ongoing
Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s New Philadelphia post continue to probe the circumstances of the collision and have not yet released a probable cause. The patrol said the case remains open and is asking anyone with information to contact the New Philadelphia post, per Jordan Miller News.
