A 52-year-old New Jersey truck driver was left in critical condition after her tanker crossed the median on U.S. 33 near Scottslawn Road, overturning on the eastbound side after sliding beneath the overpass. Marysville police officers reached the wreck within seconds and cut Lachelle Johnson free from the cab, performing CPR until fire medics arrived.
Johnson had been driving westbound on U.S. 33 at about 10:43 a.m. when her tanker crossed into the eastbound lanes just before the Scottslawn Road overpass, according to Marysville Matters. The semi-tanker overturned after crossing the median from the westbound lanes to the eastbound side just under the bridge. Johnson appeared to suffer a medical emergency and lose consciousness before the crash, Marysville Police Capt. Nathan Sachs said, per the same account.
Officers arriving at the scene were already handling another overturned truck nearby and initially saw liquid leaking from Johnson's tanker, though they did not know at the time what the vehicle was hauling. Johnson, who was secured by her seat belt inside the cab, had been left elevated above the ground because of the way the truck had landed. The report notes that officers removed her from the cab and began CPR until Marysville fire medics arrived.
Driver Transported in Critical Condition
Johnson was taken to Memorial Hospital before being transferred to Dublin Methodist Hospital, still in critical condition, according to Marysville Matters. The report said she appeared to suffer a medical emergency before the crash. Johnson was hauling liquid egg for TRD Trucking, a New Jersey company, according to the same Marysville Matters report. Her crash remains under investigation, and no additional findings on her condition have been released.
Second Wreck Snarled Nearby Ramp
The tanker crash was not the only incident disrupting U.S. 33 near Scottslawn Road that morning. An earlier crash at 8:56 a.m. involved a semi hauling an industrial forklift that overturned while turning from Scottslawn Road onto the eastbound U.S. 33 entrance ramp, the Marysville Matters report states, adding that no injuries were reported in that incident.
Crews kept the eastbound entrance ramp closed for cleanup, and eastbound drivers exiting at Scottslawn could not immediately get back onto the highway. A detour routed those drivers along Industrial Parkway instead, and traffic backed up near U.S. 42 as a result. A Union County Sheriff's deputy helped direct vehicles in that area while crews worked to clear the first wreck.
Highway Reopens After Repairs
Once the first wreck was cleared and crews completed minor ramp repairs, drivers were able to exit and re-enter U.S. 33 at Scottslawn Road again. The highway fully reopened at 2:17 p.m., according to the Marysville Matters report.
U.S. 33 near Marysville has seen other serious incidents in recent years. A dump truck driver was killed after the vehicle left the roadway eastbound and struck a tree on a Thursday afternoon, with no other vehicles or occupants involved, according to FOX 28 Columbus. A separate crash east of Scottslawn Road on June 30, 2024, prompted a 9-1-1 call to the Union County Sheriff's Office reporting a serious collision, per the Union County Daily Digital. In October 2025, another U.S. 33 crash in Marysville involved a semi-truck hauling flammable liquid along with another semi-truck and a camper, and officials told NBC4 WCMH-TV that no injuries were reported and no flammable liquid was found in area waterways. The evidence gathered does not establish a broader crash trend along the corridor, and no additional details about Johnson's condition or the investigation's findings have been made public.
