MANSFIELD—The Mansfield Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash on I-71 southbound near milepost 174, Mifflin Township, at 10:59 p.m. on Saturday night.
The caller stated the crash involved a tractor-trailer and a car, and the car was on fire.
The Mansfield Post, Richland County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Mifflin Township Fire and EMS arrived on the scene. Troopers and Deputies extinguished the flames enough to remove a male who had been partially ejected from the vehicle.
Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The two occupants in the Semi were uninjured.
The preliminary investigation shows a 2010 Jeep Liberty was traveling northbound on I-71, which was occupied by Allison M. McCort, 18, Canton, Ohio, and Evan N. Friend, 25, Canton, Ohio.
A 2020 Freightliner Cascadia was traveling southbound on I-71 driven by Mandy J Blair, 51, Grove City, Ohio.
The Jeep lost control, ran off the left side of the roadway and traveled into the southbound lanes, and was struck by the Freightliner. The Jeep continued into the guardrail and caught fire. The Freightliner struck the guardrail and came to rest in the right lane, disabled from contact with the Jeep. Seatbelts were not used in the Jeep.
I-71 southbound was closed for approximately four hours to investigate and remove debris from the crash.
Crawford County Now will continue to cover this developing story.