A 24-year-old man died Tuesday after the forklift he was operating was struck by a semi-truck on Route 736 near Adams Road in Union County, and investigators later determined that both trucks involved in the crash were hauling loads far heavier than the roadway legally allows.
The crash happened at approximately 7:02 a.m. in the 10000 block of Route 736, according to marysvillejt.com. The forklift was being used to remove building materials from a stationary semi-truck and trailer that was parked in the southbound lane in front of a residence when a northbound 2013 Peterbilt struck it. The impact sent the Peterbilt off the east side of the roadway, where it came to rest in a residential yard, the outlet reported.
The forklift operator was ejected during the crash and landed in the ditch along the roadway, per the same account. Pleasant Valley EMS transported him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead by medical personnel. His identity had not been released as of the latest reporting.
A Second Truck Strikes the Forklift
The crash did not end with the Peterbilt. After the initial collision was stabilized, a 2018 Kenworth also struck the forklift, according to the station's report. WHIO TV reported that the forklift had spun into the northbound lane after the first impact, putting it in the Kenworth's path.
A commercial enforcement trooper responded to the scene and determined that the loads being carried by both the Peterbilt and the Kenworth exceeded the legally permitted weight for the roadway. The Peterbilt was overweight by 5,500 pounds, while the Kenworth exceeded the permitted weight by 6,100 pounds, the report notes. The trooper issued citations for the overweight violations.
Weight Limits Under Ohio Law
Ohio law generally caps the maximum overall gross weight of a vehicle and its load imposed on the road surface at 80,000 pounds, according to the Ohio Revised Code. That statute includes additional exceptions and provisions, and it does not by itself establish exactly how the rule applied to the two trucks involved in Tuesday's crash.
The investigation also was assisted by the Ohio Department of Transportation, Marysville Division of Fire, Pleasant Valley Fire District and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, per the same account. The crash remains under investigation by the Union County Sheriff's Office.
