BOWLING GREEN, OH (Toledo News Now) - The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a head-on collision that killed one person just south of Bowling Green at U.S. Route 6 and Rudolph Road Wednesday afternoon.
Three cars were involved in the crash, which happened around 4:15 p.m. between Rudolph Road and Sand Ridge Drive. Debris covered the road, and a semi ended up in the woods.
Highway patrol investigators say the driver of a Dodge Dakota, 58-year-old Thomas Joseph of Toledo, was traveling westbound when he passed a Ford Focus. Joseph drove right into the path of a semi heading eastbound.
The crash killed Joseph. The driver of the semi, 43-year-old Nickolas Horvath of Bellevue, and the driver of the Focus, 67-year-old Helen Missildine of Hillsboro, were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators are trying to figure out why the driver did not see the semi or did not know it was coming. They do not think the sun was a factor in the crash, but may return to the scene at the same time of day Thursday to take photographs and determine if it could have affected the driver's vision.
The broken yellow lines on that part of U.S. 6 show it is a legal passing zone, but emergency officials say no matter where drivers are, they have to use extra caution when pulling off the maneuver.
"On a two-lane highway where cars are going 55 to 65 mph, you have to know the road and you have to be careful when you are passing. Don't take chances," said Lt. Sue Gavron of the Central Joint Fire District.
The accident is only about 300 yards away from another crash that happened late Saturday night by Sand Ridge Road that injured seven people, at least four seriously.
The highway patrol will investigate if it is a coincidence or something more.
"We'll contact the sheriff's office to see if they have taken more reports. And we'll look at our reports and make sure there's not something else out here that we need to look into," said Sgt. Nate Henn of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
U.S. Route 6 reopened after being closed for more than five hours.
