What started as a routine Friday evening drive in rural Auglaize County ended in tragedy when a motorcycle and SUV collided at a busy Clay Township intersection, leaving a 26-year-old passenger dead and two others seriously injured.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Wapakoneta Post, the crash happened around 7:37 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Route 33 and State Route 65 in Clay Township. Troopers say the motorcycle’s passenger, 26-year-old Alexandra N. Hover of Lima, was pronounced dead at the scene. The motorcycle’s rider and the driver of the SUV were both rushed to Lima Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, while a passenger riding in the SUV walked away unhurt.
State Patrol Says SUV Failed To Yield
A preliminary investigation from the Wapakoneta Post indicates a 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan was stopped on State Route 65, then pulled out and failed to yield the right of way, entering the path of a 2008 Kawasaki Vulcan traveling east on U.S. 33, according to WLIO. The impact triggered the deadly collision at the intersection.
Troopers reported that both people on the motorcycle were wearing helmets at the time of the crash. They also said alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be factors.
Victims Identified, Hospitalized
The driver of the Volkswagen Tiguan was identified as 69-year-old Raymond Jacquet of Orlando, Florida. He suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Lima Memorial Hospital. His passenger, 24-year-old Sombert H. Esperance of Lima, was not injured, according to the Wapakoneta Post as reported by Mercer County Outlook.
The Kawasaki Vulcan was operated by 22-year-old Khaled A. Haque of Lima, who was also transported to Lima Memorial with serious injuries. Passenger Alexandra N. Hover, 26, of Lima, died at the scene and was later transported to Schlosser Funeral Home.
Crash Reconstruction Underway
Auglaize County emergency crews, the Ohio State Highway Patrol Crash Reconstruction Unit, and local tow services all responded to the intersection, where the scene remained active as investigators began piecing together what happened, according to WCSM.
The Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol says the crash remains under investigation and that more details will be released as the case moves forward.
