A 60-year-old Lynchburg woman died Wednesday afternoon after the SUV she was driving was struck by a semi truck on U.S. 62 near Custer Road in Highland County, scattering debris that also hit a passing pickup truck. Debbie Westfall was pronounced dead at the scene, and the 17-year-old driving the truck suffered minor injuries.
According to the Highland County Press, Westfall was driving a 2016 Nissan Rogue north on U.S. 62 near Custer Road when she slowed to make a left turn. As she did, her vehicle was struck by a northbound 2011 Freightliner truck driven by a 17-year-old, the outlet reported. The Wilmington News Journal identified Westfall as a resident of Lynchburg.
After the impact, Westfall's vehicle went off the west side of the road, per the same account. Debris from the crash then struck a southbound Ford F-150, causing minor damage to the pickup. The teenage Freightliner driver sustained minor injuries, while the driver of the F-150 was not hurt, the report noted.
Road Closed for Hours During Investigation
WLWT reported that the crash happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, when Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers were called out to the scene on U.S. 62 near Custer Road. The highway was closed for several hours while investigators worked the scene and crews cleared the wreckage, reopening shortly after 8 p.m., according to the Highland County Press.
Multiple agencies responded to assist the Highway Patrol, including Paint Creek Fire & EMS, the Highland County Coroner's Office, the Ohio Department of Transportation and UC Air Care, the outlet reported. The crash remains under investigation by the Wilmington Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and no further details about the cause have been released.
The crash is one of several fatal wrecks this year involving vehicles on stretches of U.S. 62 across the state. In June, a Millersburg woman was killed in a separate two-vehicle crash on U.S. 62 in Holmes County, according to 101.3 WNCO, which was also investigated by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
