A one-year-old passenger died Tuesday morning after a westbound Ohio Department of Transportation truck crossed left of center and slammed head-on into an eastbound car on State Route 37 in Malta Township, Morgan County. Two adults involved in the crash were hospitalized, one with serious injuries and one with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Troopers Called to Scene Near Cordray Road
The Ohio State Highway Patrol's Marietta Post was called to the two-vehicle crash near Cordray Road at approximately 8:25 a.m. Tuesday, according to The Herald. A preliminary investigation found that 46-year-old Christopher Gorrell of McConnelsville, driving an ODOT Ford F150 westbound, crossed left of center and struck a Chevrolet Equinox driven eastbound by 20-year-old Madison Grimmett of Crooksville, as reported by WHIZ. The crash occurred in the 4600 block of State Route 37.
The one-year-old passenger was pronounced deceased at the scene. Grimmett was transported to Genesis Hospital in Zanesville with serious injuries, while Gorrell suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Marietta Memorial Hospital for treatment, per the same account from The Herald.
Multiple Agencies Responded to the Scene
Troopers were assisted on scene by ODOT, the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, the Muskingum County Coroner, the Morgan County Prosecutor, and the Malta and McConnelsville Volunteer Fire Department and EMS division, the station's report notes. The crash remains under investigation, and no further details about the cause have been released.
Morgan County has seen other fatal roadway incidents investigated by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in recent months. In one case documented by the News and Sentinel, troopers investigated two separate fatal crashes on the same Saturday, including a motorcycle crash on State Route 266 in Windsor Township that killed 48-year-old Richard M. Brooks of Malta, and a truck rollover on State Route 555 in Homer Township that killed Roger Cage of Chesterhill. Those cases are unrelated to Tuesday's crash but reflect the kind of fatal wrecks the patrol's Marietta Post has handled on Morgan County roads this year.
