Emergency responders were busy this morning as a series of crashes closed portions of U.S. 33 for more than an hour. The first crash, pictured above, occurred when the driver went off the right side of U.S. 33 eastbound, about a mile east of the rest stop. The second crash occurred when a Journal-Tribune reporter was sent to the scene and was rear-ended by a Honda Civic heading westbound. A third crash occurred also in the westbound lane, as deputies were clearing the other westbound crash.
(Journal-Tribune photos by Mac Cordell)
––––
The superstition of bad luck for Friday the 13th was more evident than ever on U.S. 33 this morning.
According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the unlucky highway saw four car accidents happen within a window of less than two hours Friday morning. The Sheriff’s Office handled the last three crashes.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, eastbound on the highway, there was a crash involving a two-trailer semi truck at 6 a.m.
A tire on the trailer was caught on the side of the asphalt and caused the second trailer to fall on its side. The driver, Wesley Stubbs, 32, of Columbus, was cited for failure to control.
The right lane of U.S. 33 was closed for more than three hours.
At 6:43 a.m., eastbound on the highway, between a mile east of the rest area and U.S. 42, a vehicle drove off of the roadway and rolled into a cornfield. The driver was transported to a hospital.
At 6:57 a.m., a Journal-Tribune reporter went to the highway and parked along the berm. The reporter said that as he was getting prepared to exit his vehicle to take pictures of the previous crash, a driver in a Honda Civic rear-ended his vehicle.
He said both cars ended up in the median. He was taken to Memorial Hospital and the other driver was also transported.
At 7:42 a.m., yet another car accident occurred westbound on the highway, west of U.S. 42.
According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the highway was officially open to traffic at around 9:07 a.m.
As much information was obtained as possible. This story will be updated in a future edition of the Journal-Tribune.