A 29-year-old Gnadenhutten woman died at the scene of a head-on crash Monday morning in Rush Township, and two 6-year-old boys were flown by helicopter to Akron Children's Hospital after their vehicles collided on Edwards Ridge Road. A second woman, driving the other car, was also taken to the hospital. The crash happened around 7:52 a.m. just south of Ridge Road.
According to WKYC, Megan Mazzoleni was driving a 2014 Ford Focus southbound on Edwards Ridge Road with a 6-year-old boy in the back seat when she crossed left of center and struck a 2020 Kia Telluride head-on. WTRF reports that Tuscarawas County 911 was notified of the crash at 7:52 a.m. on Nov. 2, and that investigators determined the Ford had traveled left of center before striking the Kia.
The Kia was being driven by 43-year-old Shanon Matsel of Port Washington, who also had a 6-year-old boy riding in the back seat, per the same WTRF report. Mazzoleni was not wearing a seat belt and had to be extricated from her car by mechanical means before she was pronounced dead at the scene by the Tuscarawas County Coroner's Office, the station reported.
Seat-Belt Use and Injuries
The accounts describe different occupants' seat-belt use. WKYC reported that Mazzoleni was not wearing a seat belt, while WTRF reported that Matsel was wearing one and was extricated by mechanical means before being transported to Union Hospital by Uhrichsville EMS.
Coverage also diverges on the condition of the two boys after they were flown to Akron Children's Hospital. Cleveland19 reported that both 6-year-olds were airlifted in unknown conditions, while Jordan Miller News reported the boys suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. No single, confirmed update on the boys' conditions has emerged from the accounts.
Investigation Continues Into Cause
WTRF reported that drugs and alcohol are not suspected to have been a factor in the crash, and that the collision remains under investigation. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances that led to the head-on collision between the Ford and the Kia.
No further updates on charges or a final investigative finding have been reported.
