A predawn rollover crash on Jefferson-Eagleville Road in Austinburg Township has killed an 18-year-old woman and left two others with minor injuries, as Ohio State Highway Patrol investigators continue looking into whether speed or impairment played a role. Chloe Dela Rosa of Jefferson, Ohio was ejected from the vehicle and died from her injuries after the single-car crash early Sunday morning.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Ashtabula post, the crash happened around 4:29 a.m. Sunday when a 1999 Toyota Camry traveling east on Jefferson-Eagleville Road went off the right side of the roadway, struck a ditch and overturned. As reported by Cleveland 19 News, the Camry carried three occupants: Dela Rosa, 18; Aiden Toth, 19; and Emily Moisio, 24, all of Jefferson. WKYC reports the eastbound Camry first drifted off the right shoulder, crossed left of center, then went off the right shoulder a second time before hitting the ditch east of Thiel Road.
Toth was wearing his seatbelt and suffered only minor injuries, as did Moisio, though troopers say neither Moisio nor Dela Rosa were buckled in at the time of the crash. Dela Rosa was ejected from the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries. The crash investigation remains ongoing, and state troopers have said speed and impairment are both being considered as factors, though no determination has been made public.
A Chaotic Scene Draws Multiple Agencies
The rural crash site, east of Thiel Road along a stretch of Jefferson-Eagleville Road, required a sprawling emergency response. The station's report notes the response included the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office, Austinburg Township Fire Department, South Central Ambulance District, Northwest Ambulance District, and two commercial towing companies, Emerine's Towing and Interstate Towing.
Thiel Road is identified near the crash site along Jefferson-Eagleville Road in Austinburg Township, and the surrounding two-lane roadway is typical of the narrow rural corridors that crisscross the county. The ThatCarHitMe.com page lists county crash records and yearly crash volumes. The crash report describes the vehicle leaving the roadway and striking a ditch.
A County Already Grappling With Rural Crash Deaths
This is not an isolated tragedy for Austinburg Township. Just months earlier, in May 2026, a Ford Transit ran a stop sign at State Route 307 and Windsor-Mechanicsville Road and collided with a pickup truck, in a crash that killed one person and injured two others.
Countywide numbers help explain why. Official Ohio State Highway Patrol statistical records show Ashtabula County recorded 20 fatal traffic crashes in 2024, with 18 of those occurring on rural roadways and eight involving alcohol- or drug-impairment, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. That marked an increase from 19 fatal crashes in 2023 and 14 in 2022. The Ohio State Highway Patrol publishes fatal-crash reports, including the Ashtabula County report cited above.
Why Seat Belt Law Complicates Enforcement
The circumstances of Dela Rosa's death intersect with a quirk of Ohio law. Under Ohio Revised Code § 4513.263, wearing a seat belt is classified as a secondary offense in the state, meaning officers cannot pull a vehicle over solely because an occupant appears unbuckled, according to the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. Statutory fines for the violation itself are modest — $30 for drivers and $20 for passengers.
Yet the stakes tied to non-compliance are stark. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office warns of the dangers of riding unbelted, even as Ohio monitors observational seat belt usage. Separate reporting from Richland Source has also discussed safety restraints among occupants who died in crashes.
Legal Exposure If Impairment Is Confirmed
Investigators have not announced a determination that impairment or excessive speed caused the fatal crash, and troopers have described speed and impairment only as factors under active investigation.
The crash adds to recent fatal wrecks in Ashtabula County. Investigators have not said whether the Austinburg crash is connected to other incidents, and the full findings on Dela Rosa's death remain pending.
