A 55-year-old Newark man died early Wednesday morning after a chain-reaction crash involving five vehicles shut down State Route 37 near Blacks Road in Union Township, Licking County. James Jones, who was driving a Toyota Tundra and wearing his seatbelt at the time, was rushed to Licking Memorial Hospital, where he later died. Three other people involved in the wreck suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
According to ABC6 OnYourSide, the crash happened at about 6:34 a.m. and involved five vehicles heading in different directions. Troopers said it began as a chain-reaction rear-end collision among vehicles traveling southbound on SR 37. As that pileup unfolded, a northbound Mack truck struck one of the vehicles that had been pushed into the northbound lane, according to the same report cited by CW Columbus.
Seatbelt Use Noted Amid Fatal Impact
Jones was behind the wheel of the Toyota Tundra when the crash occurred, and investigators noted that he had his seatbelt on at the time. He was transported to Licking Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, per the same account. The circumstances that led to the initial southbound pileup have not yet been detailed by authorities.
Three other people escaped with non-life-threatening injuries, the outlet's report notes. Those hurt included the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado, the driver of the Mack truck, and a passenger riding in a Ram 4500. None of their conditions were described as serious.
Multiple Agencies Responded to the Scene
The multi-vehicle wreck drew a large response from local emergency crews and other agencies. Responders included the Licking County Sheriff's Office, the Ohio Department of Transportation, Granville Fire Department, West Licking Joint Fire District, Heath Fire Department, and Jae's Towing and Recovery, per the same report.
The State Highway Patrol said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. No further details on what triggered the initial southbound rear-end collisions have been released as troopers continue to piece together how the five vehicles ended up colliding across both directions of SR 37.
SR 37 has seen serious crashes before in Licking County, including a 2018 wreck near Granville that troopers attributed to road rage, according to NBC4. That earlier incident, which closed the highway west of Granville, involved a tractor-trailer and two other vehicles.
