(UPDATE @ 5:09 p.m.) A woman who was a passenger in a pickup truck was killed and two drivers were injured in a crash between the truck and a semitrailer that sent both vehicles into barn and house in Miami County on Tuesday night.
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- The passenger, Kimberly Thomas, 38, of Piqua, was killed
- The driver of the pickup, Ty Thomas, 35, of Piqua, suffered serious injuries
- The semi driver, Louis Blackshear, 43, of Pataskala, suffered non-life-threatening injuries
The crash was reported just before 11 p.m. on state Route 41 at the intersection with Alcony-Conover Road in Elizabeth Twp.
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The pickup truck driven by Ty Thomas, 35, of Piqua, was headed north on Alcony-Conover Road and didn’t stop at a stop sign, according to the Miami County Sheriff’s Office. The truck crossed into the path of the semitrailer, which was headed west on state Route 41.
The crash sent both vehicles into a barn and house, causing significant damage to the structures.
The passenger in the pickup truck, Kimberly Thomas, 38, of Piqua, was killed in the crash, deputies said.
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Ty and Kimberly Thomas were trapped and had to be extricated by fire/rescue crews. He suffered serious injuries and was taken to Miami Valley Hospital by CareFlight.
Deputies said the driver of the semitrailer, Louis Blackshear, 43, of Pataskala, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken by ground ambulance to Troy Hospital.
Ty Thomas and Blackshear were both wearing seat belts, according to the sheriff’s office. It is not known if Kimberly Thomas was wearing a seat belt.
Speed and impairment do not seem to be factors in the crash at this time.
Investigators are looking into distracted driving or driver inattention as possible factors, according to the sheriff’s office.
Engineers were called to evaluate whether the house was structurally sound. The family was able to get some belongings, but Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Todd Cooper said more evaluation was necessary to see if it was structurally sound.
No one in the home was injured.
"I've been doing this for several years and this is one of the major (crashes) that I've seen," Cooper said.
A woman who lives in the house on Alcony-Conover Road at state Route 41 with her male friend said a neighbor woke them up and told them to get out of the house. The woman said they were asleep and thought the noise was a collision at the intersection.
She said she, her friend and their two dogs got out of the house after she called 9-1-1 and an emergency dispatcher also told them to get out.
We’ll continue to update this story as we learn more.
