NAPOLEON, Ohio — Two separate but related incidents along US Route 24 in Henry County on Wednesday, July 30, left three people dead.
The day began around 4:17 a.m. when the Wood County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle with Kansas plates. The driver fled, leading officers on a high-speed chase exceeding 100 mph. Henry County deputies joined the pursuit near McClure and deployed stop sticks on US 6/24, disabling the vehicle near the Industrial Avenue overpass in Napoleon.
The 38-year-old Kansas man inside the vehicle displayed a handgun, prompting a standoff that lasted approximately four hours. Police used non-lethal distraction devices during the incident. The man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 8:21 a.m. No officers fired weapons. The incident remains under investigation.
Just over two hours later, while traffic remained backed up on US 24, a fatal crash occurred nearby at 10:37 a.m. on westbound US Route 24 near Industrial Drive in Liberty Township. A semi-truck driven by 47-year-old George K. Mousa of Dearborn, Michigan, struck a stopped Nissan Versa, pushing it into another semi.
The Nissan’s driver, 21-year-old Noah D. Jones of Perrysburg, and passenger, 20-year-old Keegan M. Walborn of Maumee, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Mousa and two others were taken to Henry County Hospital with minor injuries.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
