A 64-year-old Dennison man died Tuesday evening after his pickup truck left a rural Union Township road and struck a post and a tree, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Jeffrey R. Cottrell was driving a 2003 Ford F-150 southwest on Midvale Mine Road, also known as County Road 67, near Canary Road around 7:39 p.m. when the truck ran off the right side of the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Troopers told WJER that Cottrell was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and that alcohol is believed to be a factor. The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and no additional details about the circumstances leading up to the wreck have been released.
The single-vehicle crash drew assistance from Smith Ambulance, the Sherrodsville Fire Department, the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office, the Tuscarawas County Coroner's Office, and Chad's Towing, according to Jordan Miller News.
A Rural Road With a History of Danger
Midvale Mine Road is identified as County Road 67 in Union Township. Union Township had 1,449 residents as of the 2020 census, per Wikipedia. The Ohio State Highway Patrol's New Philadelphia Post, commanded by Lt. Bryan Sponaugle, responded to the crash.
During the 2026 “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Tuscarawas County recorded six fatal crashes resulting in seven deaths, WJER reported. Cottrell was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Local and Statewide Traffic Fatalities
Traffic fatalities in Tuscarawas County are also discussed before the account of Cottrell's crash.
The article also discusses traffic fatalities and seat-belt use in fatal crashes.
Ohio Seatbelt Safety
The article includes a general Ohio Department of Transportation seat-belt message.
The article also discusses seat-belt safety.
Separately, Hoodline previously reported on a SWAT standoff in neighboring Midvale and covered a burglary and vehicle theft at a Dennison funeral home tied to a separate Ohio crime spree in late August. No further updates on Cottrell's crash had been released as investigators continued their work.
