Swanton, OH – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating two major crashes that occurred in Northwest Ohio early on November 23, 2024, resulting in multiple fatalities and serious injuries.
The first crash, a double fatal incident, took place at approximately 12:12 a.m. on the Ohio Turnpike in Franklin Township, Fulton County. According to the Swanton Post, a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia semi, driven by Jean Moise, 45, of Miami, Florida, crossed the median at milepost 26 and collided head-on with a 2007 Freightliner Columbia semi driven by Ronald Dempsey, 46, of Savannah, Georgia. Both semis veered off the south side of the highway.
Wilson Jeune, 59, of Indianapolis, Indiana, a passenger in the Cascadia, was pronounced dead at the scene. Dempsey was airlifted to The University of Toledo Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Moise was not injured. The crash closed eastbound lanes of the Ohio Turnpike for five hours.
In a separate incident, the Defiance Post responded to a serious injury crash at 12:14 a.m. in Northwest Township, Williams County. A 2014 Chevrolet 3500, driven by Connor Towers, 20, of Edon, Ohio, failed to yield at the intersection of County Road 1.50 and US-20. Towers’ vehicle was struck by a 2019 Buick Regal driven by Hunner Mravec, 27, and a 2016 Volvo semi-tractor driven by Tumurchudur Munkhbat, 46.
Mravec and a passenger sustained serious injuries and were transported to Parkview Montpelier Hospital. Towers suffered minor injuries, while Munkhbat was unharmed. Alcohol is suspected to have contributed to the crash, which closed the roadway for three hours.
Both crashes remain under investigation, and the Patrol urges drivers to use caution, always wear seat belts, and avoid impaired or distracted driving.
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