CYGNET, Ohio — A Napoleon man faces criminal charges after a crash involving at least six vehicles on I-75 Sunday night that killed two people.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Monday morning that Nicholas Luderman, 24, Napoleon, was being held at the Wood County Jail on two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.
The patrol said Luderman was at fault in the crash that happened just before 10 p.m. near Cygnet.
When troopers arrived on scene, they found multiple vehicles that had been involved in the crash, two of which fully engulfed in flames.
The patrol said the incident began when a silver 2018 Chevy Malibu traveling southbound on I-75 struck a black 2003 Dodge Dakota in the rear. The Dodge then traveled across the center median and struck at least two vehicles in the northbound lane.
Other vehicles in the area sustained damage as a result of debris, and both the Dodge Dakota and a red Jeep Grand Cherokee became engulfed in flames.
The driver of the Dodge, Andrew Jones, 19, Findlay; and the driver of the Jeep, Kassidi Krzykwa, 23, Kalamazoo, Mich., both died at the scene, the patrol said.
The other two occupants in the Jeep, Anthony Rastigue and Leti Rastigue, were both taken by helicopter from the scene to hospitals with life-threatening injuries.
A fourth vehicle involved, a 2019 Ford Flex, was operated by John Hisey of Michigan. He, his wife, and their two minor children were taken to Wood County Hospital by EMS with non-life threatening injuries.
The fifth vehicle involved was a Kia Forte operated by Alyssa Thompson, 27, of Bowling Green. Thompson sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Wood County Hospital by EMS.
As emergency crews worked Sunday night, northbound lanes of interstate were closed for more than four hours. Southbound lanes were closed for about four hours.
The incident remains under investigation and the highway patrol said it expects to release more information about additional vehicles and additional people involved later.
Authorities believe alcohol was a factor in the crash and have charged Luderman with two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.
