Despite the dramatic nature of the photo above, nobody was injured Sunday evening after a semi ran into the side of a house on Route 31 after striking a car that had pulled out from a stop sign. The driver of the car, Jeffrey L. Thacker, 34, of Marion, was cited for failure to yield at a stop sign.
(Photo submitted)
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A vehicle crash involving a semi running into a house halted traffic for about five hours Sunday at the intersection of routes 31 and 347.
At 5:32 p.m. a westbound Chevrolet Malibu, driven by Jeffrey L. Thacker, 34, of Marion, stopped at the intersection. Sheriff Jamie Patton said according to Thacker, he didn’t see a northbound semi before pulling out. The semi struck the Chevrolet, swerved off the road and into the house at 23769 Route 31.
Thacker’s vehicle spun out and went off the road.
According to Patton, the cabin of the semi was lodged inside the home’s living room. The family was reportedly home, but nobody was in the living room at the time of the crash. Neither driver was injured.
“We’re just very thankful that no one was seriously injured,” Patton said.
The semi was carrying two steel coils, one of which went into the home, and the other rolled up against the side of the house.
Thacker was cited for failure to yield at a stop sign.
Patton said there have been some concerns about the area since the Ohio Department of Transportation took out caution lights at that intersection last year. He said he’s unsure as to why ODOT took down the signal.
Nevertheless, he said there are still flashing stop signs there, and he said this crash resulted from driver error.
The road was reopened after the Multi-County Crash Investigation Team finished its investigation.
Both vehicles were towed away from the scene with heavy damage.
Liberty Township EMS, Marysville EMS, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol all assisted at the scene.