CIRCLEVILLE – Two people have been confirmed dead, one person is in critical condition, several people injured and four vehicles damaged in a wrong way driver accident on 23 on Saturday Night.
Around 10:40 pm on August 17, 2019 a state trooper was driving southbound on 23 in the Circleville area between the downtown Main Street exit and North Court Exit, when he saw a pair of headlights coming towards him going the wrong way on the interstate. The officer turned on his overhead lights, but the driver did not stop and clipped the State Trooper car, and continued to head Northbound at a high rate of speed.
The officer reported the wrong way driver across the scanner and turned around to give chase to the vehicle. Before he could catch up with the vehicle, the driver had found two more cars and crashed into them head on, that driver was identified as Carol J. Fowler, 56 of Pickerington.
Police reported that a 17 year old driver identified as Joshua Fyffe Jr, 17 of Ashville,was killed in the accident, and was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger in critical condition identified as Vladyslav Gaidai, 17 of Ashville was flown to Columbus Area Hospital, possibly Grant.
The woman driving a Outback, identified as Carol J. Fowler, 56 of Pickerington who survived the crash but succumbed to injuries from the crash, later was pronounced dead at Berger Hospital was traveling alone.
A Fourth car a Lincoln that carried Four people in it suffered heavy front end damage and luckily those individuals only suffered minor injuries.
Police shut down Us 23 Southbound for more than Four hours detouring traffic to 316 in South Bloomfield while crash reconstruction experts investigated the accident.
Pickaway County Sheriff, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Scioto Township Fire EMS, Circleville EMS, Pickaway Township EMS, and Harrison EMS were on scene.
The glancing blow from the troopers car did only minor damage.
Press release from Ohio State Highway Patrol did not originally identify the wrong way driver in the crash and police did not give that information while on scene last night. Here is the press release sent to us this morning. At this time police are still investigating why Carol J. Fowler, 56 of Pickerington entered the wrong way of US 23 and caused the accident.
CIRCLEVILLE – The Circleville Post handled a three vehicle fatal crash on US 23 south of CR-511 (North Court Street) in Pickaway County.
On Saturday, August 17, 2019 at approximately 2242 hours, a trooper from the Circleville Post was traveling southbound on US 23 south of CR-511 (North Court Street) when he was struck by a northbound vehicle that was traveling in the wrong direction on US 23 in the southbound lanes. The Circleville Post trooper activated his overhead lights in an attempt to capture the attention of the wrong way driver. Before the trooper had time to catch the wrong way driver, the wrong way vehicle had struck two other vehicles head-on. As a result of this crash, Joshua Fyffe Jr, 17 of Ashville, was pronounced deceased at the scene, and his passenger Vladyslav Gaidai, 17 of Ashville was flown by Survival Flight to Grant Hospital where he is listed in critical condition. Carol J. Fowler, 56 of Pickerington, was transported to Berger Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. A passenger in the other vehicle struck was transported to Berger Hospital where he was treated and released. The other three occupants in that vehicle were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol Crash Reconstruction Unit is assisting with the crash investigation, and further details will be released when known.
The Circleville Post was assisted by the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office, Harrison Township Fire Department, Circleville Fire Department, and ODOT.
