A 48-year-old Goshen woman died Saturday afternoon when her SUV crossed the center line on State Route 350 and slammed head-on into a John Deere combine in Vernon Township. Heather Hadley was pronounced dead at the scene, while the combine's driver walked away unhurt, according to investigators looking into the crash in rural Clinton County.
Crash Happened Near Mile Post 1 on Saturday Afternoon
Investigators say the crash happened at 4:13 p.m. on State Route 350 near mile marker 1 in Vernon Township, according to fox19.com. A preliminary investigation found that Hadley's 2017 Ford Flex had been traveling southeast on the rural route, while a 2012 John Deere S680 combine driven by 40-year-old Lester Kilburn of Morrow was heading northwest in the opposite direction, per seed facts tied to The Highland County Press.
A 2017 Ford Flex driven by Hadley crossed the center line and struck the combine traveling in the opposite direction, according to investigators cited by local12.com. The station reports Hadley died at the scene. Kilburn did not sustain any injuries in the collision, the station's report adds.
Highway Patrol Leads Investigation With Help From Local Agencies
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, per the same account from wlwt.com. The Wilmington Post was assisted at the scene by Wilmington Joint Fire and EMS, Clarksville EMS, the Clinton County Sheriff's Office, the Clinton County Coroner's Office, Clinton County ODOT and Case Towing and Recovery, according to seed facts tied to The Highland County Press.
The crash remains under investigation, and it has not been determined what caused Hadley's SUV to cross into the oncoming lane. No further details about the circumstances leading up to the collision have been released.
Rural Roads Carry Added Risk From Farm Equipment
Crashes involving slow-moving farm vehicles are a recognized hazard on rural roads, and crash fatality and injury rates run higher on rural roadways than other roadway types, according to research from stacks.cdc.gov. Similar collisions have turned deadly elsewhere in the country; in November 2025, Alabama troopers said a Tuscaloosa man was killed in a head-on crash with a John Deere combine, as reported by cbs42.com.
