A 28-year-old Lakeview man was flown to the hospital with life-threatening injuries early Saturday after his car crossed the center line on U.S. 33 and slammed head-on into a semi-truck in Logan County, closing the highway for hours. The crash also sent the truck driver to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
Troopers from the Marysville Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded around 3:40 a.m. Saturday to the crash on US 33 near Mile Post 7 in McArthur Township, according to dayton247now.com. Alec C. Cooper was driving a 2004 Pontiac Vibe northwest on US 33 when his vehicle traveled left of the center line and struck the other vehicle head-on, troopers said.
That other vehicle was a 2022 Cascadia Freightliner semi-truck driven by Aaron A. Fisher of Wapakoneta. Accounts differ on some details of Fisher's trip and age: one report put him at 60 and said he was heading southeast, while WDTN described him as 61 and also heading southeast, and WHIO reported he was traveling southwest. The collision sent Cooper's Pontiac into a guardrail, where it came to a stop, while Fisher's truck left the roadway and came to rest in a ditch, per the same account.
Two Hospitals, Two Different Outcomes
Cooper was taken by air ambulance to Miami Valley Hospital with life-threatening injuries, the station's report says. Fisher was brought to Mary Rutan Hospital by ground ambulance for possible injuries, a notably less severe designation than the one given to Cooper. The Dayton Daily News likewise reported that two people were hurt in the crash, with one victim taken to a local Dayton hospital.
The crash prompted a road closure that disrupted overnight travel through the area. According to Peak of Ohio, the Logan County Sheriff's Office shut down the highway shortly before 4 a.m. between Township Road 95 and Township Road 94 while crews worked the scene.
Investigation Continues, Alcohol Ruled Out For Now
Troopers said alcohol is not currently believed to be a factor in the crash. The case remains under investigation by the Marysville Highway Patrol Post, and no additional details about what caused Cooper's vehicle to cross the center line have been released.
