MOOREFIELD TWP., Clark County — The crash in Clark County that left an Urbana couple dead and sent five others to hospitals was the 10th at East County Line at Middle Urbana roads dating back to January 2017, according to a state traffic database that tracks every crash in Ohio, News Center 7′s John Bedell reports.
But Thursday afternoon’s crash was the first fatal during that span of time, an outcome people who live in the area have been dreading.
“My biggest fear is when I go out there that I’m going to find somebody dead one day. And yesterday was that day,” Kim Keeton of Urbana Twp. told Bedell Friday.
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“As soon as you hear that loud crashing noise, you know right away what happened,” she said.
Thursday’s loud crashing noise, involving one vehicle that T-boned another, left the Urbana couple, 75-year-old Robert and 72-year-old Janet Ennis, dead at the scene.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is continuing its investigation of the accident, which according to a preliminary review by troopers on scene occurred when the other vehicle driven by Steven Hughes, 31, of Quincy, failed to yield at the intersection and hit the Ennis vehicle. Both cars ended up off the roadway, one into a tree and the other into a telephone pole.
Hughes, his passenger Randy Thompson Burdiss, 28, and Hughes’ three children -- Clover Hughes, 6; Bexley Hughes, 8 and Nova Hughes, 6 -- were all taken to area hospitals.
No charges have been filed as of Friday evening.
The frequency of accidents at the location has residents concerned.
“This is very dangerous. I wish they would do something about this intersection,” Kim Keeton said.
The intersection straddles Clark and Champaign counties, so which jurisdiction would be responsible for potential traffic changes is not clear.
Neal Amstutz, of Moorefield Twp., said, “My concern that there have been and are too many accidents here at this cross section. And how to correct it I don’t know.”