An 81-year-old man has died following a crash on North Bend Road in Green Township, and investigators say they are still waiting on autopsy results before they can determine exactly what happened. Joseph LaGory died at University of Cincinnati Medical Center after the collision at North Bend Road and Crestknoll Lane on Tuesday.
According to FOX19, the crash happened around 11:38 a.m. Tuesday, per Lt. Jeff Sabers. Police have confirmed LaGory's death but say the crash remains under investigation while they wait for the results of his autopsy.
The Hamilton County Coroner's Office is investigating the circumstances of LaGory's death, and per the same account, those circumstances remain pending. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 313.13, when the coroner's office is notified that a person who operated a motor vehicle was killed in a crash or died from injuries suffered in it, the coroner must take charge of the body and administer chemical blood testing for alcohol and drugs, according to the Ohio Revised Code. When those conditions are met, that testing applies regardless of whether officers initially suspect impairment played a role.
Why the Wait for Answers Could Take Weeks
Families and investigators alike are often left waiting for a full picture after a fatal crash. The Ohio Coroners Association notes that full autopsy and toxicology reports typically take four to eight weeks to complete, with a pending death certificate issued in the meantime so families can move forward with funeral arrangements.
Investigators are awaiting those results as they work to determine the circumstances of LaGory's death.
A Corridor With a Troubled Recent History
The stretch of North Bend Road near Crestknoll Lane sits close to the medical corridor surrounding Mercy Health West Hospital on Mercy Health Boulevard, and it has seen more than its share of serious wrecks in recent years. A First District Court of Appeals of Ohio ruling describes the lane arrangement at a point on North Bend Road and notes a posted 35 mph speed limit.
In a fatal crash Hoodline covered in February, Green Township Police investigated the death of 64-year-old Kimberly Stepp near Mercy Health Boulevard, which resulted in aggravated vehicular homicide charges against a 21-year-old driver. And in October 2024, a 15-year-old driver in a stolen vehicle reportedly crossed the center line at high speed, hitting 60 mph in the posted 35 mph zone, and struck oncoming vehicles on North Bend Road, killing a driver, according to FOX19.
Green Township covers 28 miles on Cincinnati's west side and is home to more than 55,000 residents, with a police department staffing 63 full-time officers, according to a job listing from the National Testing Network. For now, what led up to Tuesday's crash remains an open question, with investigators and the Hamilton County Coroner's Office still working toward formal answers that, under Ohio law, could take weeks to arrive.
