An 18-year-old driver from Richwood swerved to avoid a deer on State Route 31 early Saturday morning, sending her SUV off the road and into a home that erupted in flames, destroying both the vehicle and the house. All five people inside the home managed to get out on their own, and the driver and her passenger were taken for medical treatment following the crash near mile marker 19 in Union County.
A Swerve, a Deer, and a Direct Hit
According to WDTN, the driver was heading north in a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox when a deer appeared in the road. She swerved to avoid it, but the SUV veered off the right side of the road and struck a home in the 34000 block of Route 31. Both the Equinox and the house were fully engulfed in flames, and officials said both ended up as total losses from the fire, per the same report.
Despite the destruction, nobody trapped inside the home. All five occupants were able to exit on their own before the fire consumed the structure, the station's report notes. One of those five residents was treated at the scene for minor injuries, while the driver and her passenger required transport for further care.
Injuries and Emergency Response
Northwestern EMS took the driver to Memorial Hospital of Union County for what officials described as minor injuries, per WDTN's reporting. Her passenger, whose condition was more severe, was flown by MedFlight to Ohio State University Medical Center for serious injuries.
The Southeastern Hardin Fire Department served as the primary agency battling the blaze, with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency contacted to assist at the scene, the article notes. A long list of additional agencies responded, including the Union County Sheriff's Office, Northwestern Fire and EMS, North Union Fire and EMS, the Marysville Fire Department, the county's Emergency Management Association, 24/7 Towing and Recovery, and the American Red Cross.
Investigators Point to Driver Error
The Ohio State Highway Patrol determined the driver was at fault for failure to control the vehicle, and said no other contributing factors were under investigation in the crash, according to the same account. Officials continue working to learn more details about the crash and resulting fire.
Deer Season Raises the Stakes Statewide
The timing of the crash lines up with a season Ohio drivers are urged to watch closely. Since the start of 2021, drivers have hit deer more than 111,000 times statewide, according to data reported by cleveland.com, with 49 of those crashes proving fatal and resulting in 50 deaths. That same report attributes the seasonal spike to deer breeding activity and shorter daylight hours in November.
A separate summary of Highway Patrol statistics from countryherald.com found that nearly half of all deer-involved crashes in Ohio occur during October, November and December, with November alone accounting for 21 percent of reported collisions statewide. The Union County crash adds a dramatic, if familiar, entry to that statistical surge.
