MOUNT GILEAD, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—A fatal traffic crash on Interstate 71 near mile post 152 in Franklin Township, Morrow County, claimed four lives early Sunday morning, according to the Mount Gilead Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at approximately 2:38 AM on March 31, 2024, when a 2020 Hyundai Tucson, operated by Larry A. Dotson, 32, of Canton, Ohio, was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes. The Tucson collided head-on with a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by Salvador Alfaro Castaneda, 26, of Columbus, Ohio.
Both vehicles overturned and caught fire upon impact. The Grand Cherokee was carrying two passengers, Cristal Galloso Olvera, 31, and Ivonne Olvera, 50, both of Columbus, Ohio. Marlee S. Middleton, 32, of Massillon, Ohio, was a passenger in the Tucson.
Dotson, Middleton, Galloso, and Ivonne Olvera were pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. Castaneda was transported to Ohio Health in Mansfield with serious injuries.
The use of seatbelts by the victims is currently under investigation, with initial reports indicating that Castaneda was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash, while Dotson and Middleton were not. It remains unknown whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by Morrow County EMS, the Morrow County Coroner’s Office, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Mount Gilead Fire Department.
The crash remains under investigation by the Mount Gilead Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.