The deadly Ohio crash closed the highway for five hours, officials said
Credit: Hurshel Gipson/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A dad and his 11-year-old son died in a multi-vehicle collision involving a semi-truck in Allen County, Ohio, on Feb. 28
- Four other people, including the child’s mom, were injured in the crash
- An investigation is ongoing
A father and his 11-year-old son are dead after a semi-truck allegedly smashed into multiple vehicles on a congested Ohio highway.
The tragedy occurred on Saturday, Feb. 28, around 8:15 p.m. local time, when officials responded to a report of a semi-truck that struck several vehicles that were backed up on Interstate 75 North, near the Cridersville exit in Fort Shawnee, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a news release obtained by PEOPLE.
Yvio Michel, a 53-year-old man from Boynton Beach, Fla., was driving a Great Dane semi-truck north on Interstate 75 when he failed to keep enough distance as he approached congested traffic, hitting four passenger vehicles and another semi-truck, the agency said.
Amanda Gipson, a 45-year-old woman from Lima, Ohio, was driving a 2015 Buick Enclave at the time, with her 52-year-old husband, Hurshel Gipson, and their 11-year-old son as passengers. Both her husband and child were pronounced dead at the scene, and she was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries, officials said.
A spokesperson for the Allen County Coroner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that an investigation into the deaths of Hurshel and his son, Michael, is ongoing.
Four other victims were all in separate vehicles that were struck by the semi, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. One of them was transported with serious injuries, while two of the others were transported with non-life-threatening injuries.
The deadly crash closed the highway for five hours, and an investigation is ongoing, officials said.
After the investigation is complete, the Ohio State Highway Patrol told WLIO that troopers will connect with the local district attorney’s office to determine if any charges will be filed.
In a statement shared on social media, Lima City Schools said it was “deeply saddened by the passing of one of our North Middle School students and his father” in the Feb. 28 accident.
“Michael was a beloved student and friend who will be missed by his classmates, teachers and entire school community,” the school district said on Sunday, March 1. “As a recent R.A. Horn award winner, Michael received statewide recognition.”
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Lima City Schools added that counseling services would be provided to students and staff.
“We ask that you keep the Gipson family and Michael’s Spartan family in your thoughts and prayers,” the school said.
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