A 17-year-old motorcyclist from Marysville was seriously injured Friday night when a driver attempting to pass multiple vehicles on State Route 4 crossed into oncoming traffic and struck him head-on. Donovin Yawnk was riding a 2006 Suzuki SV650 southbound near milepost 18 in Union County when the collision happened around 8:30 p.m., leaving him with serious injuries that required an emergency airlift to Columbus.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, as reported by NBC4, 67-year-old Earl McDaniel of Marion was driving a 1999 Jaguar two-door sports car north on State Route 4 when he attempted to pass multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed. That maneuver put him directly in the path of Yawnk's southbound motorcycle, and the Jaguar struck the bike head-on.
Yawnk was treated at the scene before being transported by MedFlight to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center with serious injuries, per the same account. McDaniel, meanwhile, sustained only minor injuries and was not transported from the scene, troopers said.
Reckless Driving Cited as Investigation Continues
The Highway Patrol said reckless driving is considered a contributing factor in the crash, which remains under investigation, the station's report notes. No citation or charge against McDaniel has been confirmed, and no further details on the length of the investigation have been released.
According to WHIO TV, two vehicles were stopped on opposite sides of the roadway after the crash.
A Dangerous Pattern on Ohio Roads
Crashes like the one that hurt Yawnk are far from isolated. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported 19,674 motorcycle-involved crashes statewide from 2021 through 2025, according to WKBN. Of those crashes, 1,060 were fatal, and the five-year total resulted in 17,500 injuries and 1,096 deaths.
The same data shows how much helmet use factors into outcomes: 66% of motorcyclists killed in Ohio crashes during that period were not wearing a helmet, and 60% of those injured were also helmet-less, WKBN reported. No information about whether Yawnk was wearing a helmet has been verified in connection with Friday's crash.
For now, the extent of Yawnk's recovery and any potential legal consequences for McDaniel remain unknown, with the Highway Patrol's investigation still open.
