Union County saw a glut of crashes Wednesday, including one that sent two drivers to Memorial Hospital.
According reports from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, driven by Nora Belle Hicks, 64, of Kenton, was traveling south on Route 31 near Route 347 when she moved to pass another vehicle at 6:21 a.m. Wednesday. A 2006 Honda Pilot, driven by Damaris Walls, 38, of Delaware, was turning right from Route 347 onto Route 31 when it was struck by Hicks’ vehicle.
Liberty Township EMS took both drivers to Memorial Hospital. Hicks was cited for failure to stay in her own lane. Other assisting agencies included the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Marysville Fire Department.
Other crashes in the county were less severe, though one included a vehicle that struck a dog that had run out onto the roadway at the intersection of Route 37 and Ira Bean Parkway at 12:59 p.m. While the owner of the dog had already collected it by the time a deputy arrived, the driver of the car reportedly told the officer the dog had died.
Another crash happened on Honda Parkway at 5:50 a.m. that included a 1998 Honda that struck a 2011 Honda Accord from behind. The driver of the 1998 Honda, Layne A. Grose, 20, of Richwood, was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance ahead.
Later, at 8:45 a.m., a 1998 Honda Civic lost control and struck a fence on Wolford Maskill Road.
Then at 9:08 a.m., a 1995 Pontiac sedan reportedly struck a flowerpot on Main Street in Unionville Center and left the scene. Authorities located the driver, Shanon J. Ervin, 37, of Unionville Center. Ervin was charged with driving under suspension and failure to control.
A deputy responded to a crash on Route 38 that involved a 2017 Ford Escape hitting a 2000 Ford Ranger. The driver of the Escape, Kathryn E. Reiff, 69, of Milford Center, was cited for failure to control.
The snowy roads the county saw also contributed to some crashes.
A deputy and units from the Jerome Township Fire Department responded to the intersection of Watkins Road and State Road to investigate a property damage crash involving a 2013 Kia that lost control and struck a 2011 GMC truck after sliding across the intersection. Another occurred on Industrial Parkway at 7:57 a.m. and included a 2018 Chrysler 300 that hit a 2011 Silverado.
“I think the number one thing is you’ve got to slow down,” said Union County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Tom Morgan.
Morgan said drivers should work to control the speed of their vehicle as best they can. This means increasing the distance drivers give themselves to stop, and accelerating more slowly.
“If you try to punch it on icy roads, (you’ll slide),” he said.
He also recommended drivers wear seatbelts and perform other basic actions, like cleaning ice off of frosty windshields.