More than a year after a fiery head-on crash on U.S. Route 23 killed two women and left two men critically injured, Delaware County prosecutors have filed three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide against the driver they say caused it. Kristina A. Alexander, now 52, has not been taken into custody as of the latest check, leaving open questions about her whereabouts and when she might face arraignment.
The crash happened around 8:32 p.m. on August 13, 2025, along U.S. 23 near State Route 750 in Orange Township, according to the myfox28columbus.com report on the newly filed charges. Alexander was driving a southbound 2018 Dodge Ram when, per the accident report cited in the case, she veered left of center and struck a northbound 2021 Toyota Venza head-on before also hitting a 2025 Honda Accord, according to the Delaware Gazette. The impact sent both the Dodge Ram and the Honda Accord into flames against a highway guardrail, the paper reported.
Two women in the Venza, 64-year-old Carol A. Waldman of Mount Cory and 54-year-old Amanda R. Reidling of Arcadia, were pronounced dead at the scene. The Venza's driver, Paul F. Waldman, and passenger Joseph P. Reidling were hospitalized with serious injuries, the same account noted. Court records later indicated one of those hospitalized victims eventually died of injuries from the crash, which is why Alexander now faces three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide rather than two.
A Retired Reading Teacher and a Local Pastor
Carol Waldman had retired in spring 2025 after 24 years as a Title 1 elementary reading specialist for Liberty-Benton Local Schools in Findlay. Liberty-Benton Superintendent Bruce Otley described her, in comments carried by WSYX ABC 6, as a calming presence who impacted generations of young readers.
Amanda Reidling served as a pastor at a church in Arcadia, and her death was felt deeply across her congregation and the broader northwest Ohio community, the station reported. She had been seated in the right rear of the Venza beside her husband, Joseph, who survived the crash with serious injuries.
The third vehicle involved, a Honda Accord driven by 38-year-old Pradeep Challagulla of Lewis Center, carried an 8-year-old passenger. Both were wearing seatbelts and escaped with only minor injuries, avoiding hospital transport altogether, per the Delaware Gazette's original reporting. Orange Township Fire and EMS and the Delaware County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene, the paper noted.
What Alexander Could Face Under Ohio Law
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.06, aggravated vehicular homicide is generally charged as a second-degree felony, or a first-degree felony under certain aggravating factors, and carries mandatory prison terms along with mandatory driver's license suspensions, according to the Ohio Revised Code. A second-degree felony conviction in Ohio can bring up to eight years in prison per count, in addition to license revocation. With three counts pending, Alexander's potential exposure could be substantial if she is convicted, though her whereabouts and the timing of any arrest remain unresolved.
A Familiar Hazard on Orange Township Roads
This was not the first deadly cross-centerline crash to strike Orange Township in recent years. Four months before the U.S. 23 collision, a Worthington man died in a head-on crash on nearby State Route 750 after another driver crossed the center line, an incident that also drew responses from Orange Township Fire and EMS and the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.
The corridor's traffic volume has drawn state attention for years. The Ohio Department of Transportation has said U.S. 23 carries roughly 30% more daily traffic than it was designed to handle, creating bottlenecks and elevated crash rates between I-270 and Waldo, according to ODOT's 23Connect corridor data. That finding helped shape a U.S. 23 Corridor Action Plan identifying 33 targeted safety and capacity projects along the route.
Some of that planning is now translating into funding aimed squarely at the area near the crash site. In March, ODOT's Transportation Review Advisory Council recommended $5 million in fiscal year 2027 funding for advanced right-of-way acquisition tied to safety improvements at the U.S. 23 and Orange Road intersection, as reported by the Delaware Gazette. Separately, following a legislative mandate for a broader feasibility study, ODOT proposed in July a new connector route linking U.S. 23 and Interstate 71 north of the Village of Ashley, cutting across Morrow and Marion counties, according to 10TV.
For now, the criminal case against Alexander remains in its early stages, with her custody status and next court date still unclear. The families of Carol Waldman and Amanda Reidling, along with survivors Paul Waldman and Joseph Reidling, are left waiting as the case moves through the Delaware County court system.
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