A man had to be cut out of his car with the Jaws of Life Thursday morning after it crashed into a ravine near North James H. McGee Boulevard and North Gettysburg Avenue in Dayton, leaving him with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital following the crash, which happened around mid-morning in the area.
According to Dayton 24/7 Now, a witness called the dispatch center to report the crash, and Dayton police and fire officials confirmed the man was trapped in the car after it became wedged into the ravine, according to District Chief Andrew Wiley. Crews worked to safely free him using the Jaws of Life before he was transported for treatment.
Medical Emergency Suspected, Not Impairment
Sgt. Creigee S. Coleman said the man was believed to have suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel. Speeding, drugs, and alcohol were not believed to be factors in the crash, per the same official. The crash remained under investigation as of Thursday.
Coleman also thanked the public for speaking up, telling Dayton 24/7 Now that officials appreciated the witness who alerted them to the wreck and reminding residents more broadly: if you see something, say something.
A Rough Stretch On Dayton Roads
Thursday's crash adds to a difficult few days for drivers in the region. Separately, a person died and another was left in serious condition after a single-vehicle crash on North James H. McGee Boulevard, according to WHIO. That crash was reported around 2:30 a.m. in the 1700 block of the boulevard, east of North Gettysburg Avenue, and caused the vehicle to roll and eject both occupants. The Montgomery County Coroner's Office identified the person killed as Sydney Wise, 23, of Springfield.
It is not established that the two crashes on North James H. McGee Boulevard are connected or part of the same incident. The fatal crash is a separate case under its own investigation.
The string of serious wrecks comes amid what the Dayton Daily News has described as a deadly stretch for Montgomery County, where at least five people were killed in four crashes over four days, including two in Dayton and one each in Riverside and Union. Among those, a Fairborn man was killed and two others suffered critical injuries in a crash on State Route 4 in Riverside, and two people died after a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe went over a guardrail near State Route 4 and Stanley Avenue in Dayton, the newspaper reported.
No further details on Thursday's ravine crash, including the driver's identity or an updated condition, have been released. The investigation remains active.
