Speed a factor in deadly crash on North Main Street in Dayton; Woman killed identified

DAYTON — A driver killed in a crash on North Main Street Monday morning was likely driving “well above” the speed limit, said Dayton police Sgt. Gordon Cairns.

Francine Heard, 47, of Dayton, was identified as the person killed in the crash, said Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger.

The crash happened between Siebenthaler and Hillcrest avenues shortly before 8:30 a.m. and shut down the road for hours.

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Cairns said Heard drove off the road and crashed into an RTA pole.

“It was horrible. It didn’t even look like a car anymore,” said John Sullivan, who lives along North Main. “When you looked at the car, there is no way someone could have survived.”

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North Main Street Crash

Heard was thrown from the car and died at the scene.

The speed limit on North Main Street is 35 mph, however Cairns said “it’s still too early to tell” exactly how fast Heard was driving.

There were no reports of any street racing going on prior to the crash, Cairns said. However, police are asking the public to review any surveillance video to see if it captured any of the moments before the crash happened.

Sullivan said this is the eighth or ninth crash he’s seen on the stretch of road since he bought his home in November. He contacted police several months ago and has noticed more officers being out on North Main.

“They can only do so much,” Sullivan said.

The stretch of road has been targeted by Dayton police, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. and the Ohio State Highway Patrol recently to help crack down on speeding issues on the corridor.

In October, the three agencies has a combined blitz on North Main Street between Shiloh Springs Road and Stewart Street, which is the top route for pedestrian crashes in the county and a deadly stretch of road.

There have been a total of 124 crashes that have resulted in 10 deaths of pedestrians in the last five years on the stretch of road.

During the October blitz, law enforcement focused on crash causing violations like reckless driving, speeding, impaired driving and “jaywalking.”

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