WILMINGTON, Ohio — Two people, including a 12-year-old, were killed and two others were seriously injured in a crash on Interstate 71 early Monday.
A 46-year-old Arkansas man was driving a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica southbound near State Route 73 in Clinton County at 12:02 a.m. when the minivan went onto the right berm and hit the rear of a tractor-trailer which was parked on the berm due to mechanical issues, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Two passengers in the rear of the minivan, 58-year-old Edward Priest and 12-year-old Charles Paul of Bauxite, Arkansas, were pronounced dead at the scene, troopers said in a news release.
The minivan's driver and an 11-year-old girl who was riding in the front seat were both seriously injured, troopers said. The man was flown to Kettering Medical Center and the girl was flown to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Troopers didn't specify whether the people injured or killed had been wearing seat belts, but did say they would like to remind drivers to encourage all passengers to wear seat belts.
Southbound lanes of I-71 were closed in the area for about four hours. The crash is still under investigation.
