One person was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a multi-vehicle crash shut down northbound I-75 near downtown Cincinnati overnight, according to police. The crash blocked all lanes near Ezzard Charles Drive in the West End, snarling traffic through the night before the highway reopened Thursday morning.
The crash was reported around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, with all lanes blocked near Ezzard Charles Drive shortly after, according to FOX19. Police said one person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash, which involved multiple vehicles.
Highway Reopens After Overnight Closure
Northbound I-75 was back open by Thursday morning, per the same report. The closure stretched through the night in one of the city's busiest downtown corridors, a route that funnels commuters and interstate traffic alike past the West End and into the heart of Cincinnati.
Separate from the crash closure, construction is already affecting access around the corridor. ODOT lists the ramp to Winchell Avenue and Ezzard Charles Drive from northbound I-75, 9th Street and 6th Street as closed through May 2027 for the Linn Street bridge project. The agency says motorists traveling from 9th Street to northbound I-75 are detoured via 8th Street and Freeman Avenue, details included in ODOT’s Hamilton County traffic advisories.
The crash occurred along a stretch of I-75 slated for a major overhaul. The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Brent Spence Bridge Corridor plan calls for reconstructing and widening about three miles of I-75 between Linn Street and the Western Hills Viaduct, reworking ramps and removing left-hand exits. The plan also includes widening and capping the Ezzard Charles Drive crossing to improve connections between the West End and the Cincinnati Museum Center; that work is scheduled for 2030 to 2035, according to ODOT’s project outline.
The Cincinnati Police Department Traffic Unit is investigating the crash, the station's report notes. No further details on how the collision occurred, how many vehicles were involved beyond “multiple,” or the condition of the hospitalized person have been released.
