Cleveland — Overnight, a fatal collision involving a vehicle travelling the wrong way forced the closure of much of I-71 northbound and injured at least three persons.
At before one in the morning on Thursday, emergency personnel were called to the vicinity of I-71 northbound right before the West 150th Street exit.
News 5 is informed by Cleveland police dispatch that an automobile was heading south in the northbound lanes when it collided head-on with another vehicle.
See the moment the car entered I-71 the incorrect way in the video below:
According to the medical examiner, a 58-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 60-year-old man and a 24-year-old man are in serious condition.
EMS reports that a 32-year-old lady suffered minor injuries.
It’s not quite obvious who was in which vehicle.
Hospitals in the region are now treating all three casualties.
Just after 4 a.m., the highway reopened.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the possibility of drug or alcohol use, are being looked into by the police.
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, even though they happen seldom, wrong-way collisions regularly result in fatalities.
The Ohio Department of Transportation says though they’re relatively rare, wrong-way crashes frequently have deadly consequences.
“They make up about 0.01% of all crashes in the state of Ohio. However, they are 40% more likely to be fatal. They are very severe when they do happen,” explained Amanda McFarland, the public information officer for ODOT’s Northeast Ohio region.
According to statewide data, 90 wrong-way crashes last year resulted in 16 deaths. In 2022, 105 wrong-way crashes killed 12 people.
