A 51-year-old Bellefontaine man is dead after his minivan collided with a pickup truck at a rural Logan County intersection early Thursday morning, in a crash troopers say happened amid heavy fog after he failed to stop at a posted stop sign. Jason Honeycutt was pronounced dead at the scene near the intersection of State Route 235 and County Road 13, roughly 10 miles west of Bellefontaine.
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers responded to the crash at 5:44 a.m., according to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Troopers say Honeycutt, driving a 2012 Honda Odyssey, failed to adhere to the stop sign at County Road 13 and collided with a Ram pickup truck that was traveling north on State Route 235. Both vehicles veered off the west side of the road and came to rest in a private gravel driveway.
The pickup's driver was hospitalized with minor injuries. Investigators confirmed both drivers were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, per the station's report. Heavy fog is believed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol to have been a factor in the collision, though the investigation remains ongoing.
A Second Crash in Nine Days
This was not Honeycutt's first brush with a Logan County collision this month. Just nine days before the fatal crash, on August 4, his 2012 Honda Accord Crosstour was rear-ended in a multi-vehicle collision on County Road 130, according to Peak of Ohio. He was treated for minor injuries at Mary Rutan Hospital following that earlier wreck. It remains unclear whether that incident had any bearing on the circumstances of the fatal crash nine days later.
Fog's role in the collision raises questions that investigators have not yet resolved. Ohio law under Section 4511.43(A) of the Ohio Revised Code requires drivers approaching a stop sign to come to a complete stop and yield the right-of-way to approaching traffic, a violation normally classified as a minor misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $150. It remains unclear from the investigation whether fog obscured the stop sign itself or instead prevented Honeycutt from seeing the oncoming pickup on State Route 235.
A Corridor With a History of Deadly Wrecks
The stretch of State Route 235 near County Road 13 has seen severe crashes before. On May 2, a southbound SUV struck an Amish buggy from behind in nearby Washington Township, killing 48-year-old Daniel Wagler Sr. and critically injuring two others, according to Hometown Stations. Rural intersections feeding onto high-speed state routes have drawn attention from state troopers elsewhere in Logan County as well; a February crash saw a driver who stopped at a stop sign on Township Road 87 pull directly into the path of an oncoming vehicle traveling 55 mph on US 33, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol data.
Statewide, Ohio State Highway Patrol crash statistics published in April show that driving off the roadway was a contributing factor in 26% of all fatal vehicle crashes over a five-year period. Regional transportation planners have also taken notice of the broader State Route 235 corridor's crash history. Following a 2024 safety study, the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 proposed a roundabout nearby at the intersection of State Route 235 and State Route 67 in neighboring Hardin County to address persistent collisions along the corridor.
Timing Falls Within Ohio's Deadliest Summer Stretch
Thursday's fatal crash falls within what safety officials call the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day when Ohio historically sees its highest concentration of fatal crashes. During that window in 2025, the Ohio State Highway Patrol recorded 339 fatal crashes and 370 traffic fatalities statewide, per Peak of Ohio. Bellefontaine, located about 10 miles east of the crash site, serves as Logan County's seat and its only incorporated city.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol has not released additional details on what led Honeycutt to miss the stop sign, and the crash investigation remains ongoing. No further information about potential charges or contributing causes has been made public.
