An 87-year-old passenger died yesterday after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of U.S. Route 22/3 and Middleboro Road in Salem Township, Warren County. Emergency crews airlifted one person and took both drivers to area hospitals, and troopers from the Lebanon post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to the scene. The crash backed up traffic along the busy state route while investigators documented the damage and cleared the roadway.
What officials say
According to WKRC Local 12, the Ohio State Highway Patrol says a Toyota Camry traveling north on Middleboro Road failed to yield and struck a Dodge Ram 1500 traveling west on U.S. 22/3 just before 11:30 a.m. Troopers said both vehicles left the roadway after the impact, and emergency crews had to work to free people trapped inside. The Lebanon post of the patrol remains on the case as troopers collect statements and physical evidence to piece together exactly how the collision unfolded.
Victim and injuries
As reported by WLWT, the passenger in the Camry, 87-year-old Jerrold Rajewski, was flown by medical helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital, where he later died. The Camry's 86-year-old driver was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, and the Ram's 46-year-old driver was treated for injuries described as non-life-threatening. Authorities have not released additional medical information while they work to notify next of kin.
Where this happened and why it matters
The wreck happened along a stretch of U.S. 22/3 that has seen more than its share of serious crashes. Earlier coverage of a Route 22 pileup in Hamilton Township and the Ohio Department of Transportation's crash map for Warren County, as per the ODOT crash map, both highlight portions of the corridor as higher-crash locations. Local officials have repeatedly pointed to the mix of rural crossroads and higher speeds as a recipe for trouble along this route.
Investigation ongoing
The Ohio State Highway Patrol's Lebanon post is continuing its investigation, and no charges have been filed at this time, per WKRC Local 12. Troopers have asked anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has additional information to contact the Lebanon post or the Warren County Sheriff's Office as they work to reconstruct what happened.
