An agricultural tractor driver was killed Thursday in a hit-and-run crash on State Route 79 at the north edge of Hebron, authorities said. A pickup truck hit the tractor, then kept going. The tractor operator was taken to Licking Memorial Hospital and later pronounced dead, and investigators from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Hebron police are now working to track down the pickup driver.
Hebron Police Chief Tyler Welsh told WBNS the crash happened on SR 79 near O'Neill Drive and Ridgely Tract Road. Northbound lanes were shut down while crews worked the scene. Welsh said the tractor driver was taken to Licking Memorial Hospital, where the person was pronounced dead, and noted that the Ohio State Highway Patrol is assisting Hebron police as they search for the pickup driver, who has not been found.
Investigators searching for the pickup
Local agencies in Licking County have rolled out automated license plate readers in recent years that can help track vehicles that leave crash scenes, according to Atlas of Surveillance. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Licking County Sheriff's Office dispatch at (740) 670-5555, per the county's organizational page.
Why this stretch matters
State safety maps list State Route 79 as one of Licking County's higher-crash corridors, a reminder of what can happen when slower farm equipment and faster-moving traffic share the same two-lane road. The Ohio Department of Transportation's county crash map flags SR 79 as a high-crash location and uses that data to help prioritize local safety projects, according to ODOT.
The crash remains under investigation, and authorities have not released the tractor driver's name. Police asked drivers to stay clear of the area while the search and cleanup continue. This story will be updated as officials release more details.
