A 74-year-old Willard man has died four days after his pickup truck collided with a semi truck at a rural Huron County intersection, according to state troopers. Edwin Lynch was flown to a Cleveland hospital following the crash and was pronounced dead on Sunday, marking a grim turn in a wreck that initially left the truck driver uninjured.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol Norwalk Post is investigating the fatal two-vehicle crash, according to Cleveland 19 News. The crash happened at 10:15 a.m. last Wednesday at the intersection of State Route 61 and State Route 103 in New Haven Township. Troopers say Lynch was driving a 2018 Toyota Tundra eastbound on SR 103 when he failed to stop at the posted stop sign at SR 61, based on the preliminary investigation.
Lynch's pickup struck a 2025 Mack Pinnacle semi truck that was traveling northbound on SR 61, the outlet reported. The semi was operated by Eric Smith, 35, of Mansfield, who was not injured in the crash. Both men were wearing their seat belts at the time of impact, according to the same report.
Life Flight Called After Serious Injuries
Lynch sustained serious injuries at the scene and had to be airlifted to Cleveland MetroHealth, per the report. He was pronounced deceased there on Sunday, four days after the crash. The intersection was temporarily closed for about an hour while crews worked the scene.
Troopers were assisted on scene by the Huron County Sheriff's Office, the Willard Fire Department, North Central EMS, Cleveland MetroHealth Life Flight and White's Towing, the report notes. The crash remains under investigation, and no additional details on road conditions or vehicle damage have been released.
Rural Intersection Has Seen Prior Fatal Crashes
The stretch of Huron County roadway is no stranger to deadly collisions. In July, the Highway Patrol investigated another fatal crash in the county in which a driver failed to stop at a stop sign on New State Road and was struck by another vehicle, as Cleveland 19 News reported at the time. In August, a 49-year-old Greenwich man died after a Ford F-350 struck his Dodge Ram at another Huron County intersection, according to Fox 8.
A separate crash in January 2025 killed 28-year-old Myeicia Amison elsewhere in Huron County, according to WTOL. And New Haven Township itself has a history with fatal wrecks: a 2018 collision at State Route 103 and Peru Center Road killed 50-year-old Paula J. Fraley, according to records compiled by accidentdatacenter.com.
No citations or findings of fault have been released in Lynch's case, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol has not indicated when its investigation will conclude.
