Columbus, Ohio – Two Columbus residents tragically lost their lives in a devastating wrong-way, head-on crash on Interstate 71 in Morrow County early Sunday morning. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is actively investigating the incident which occurred around 2:40 a.m. in Franklin Township near mile marker 152.
The Highway Patrol reported that four individuals were pronounced dead at the scene. The victims were identified as Cristal Galloso Olvera, 31, and Ivonne Olvera, 50, both from Columbus, Larry A. Dotson, 32, of Canton, and Marlee Middleton, 32, of Massillon. The crash involved Dotson, who was driving a 2020 Hyundai Tucson in the wrong direction on I-71 south and collided head-on with a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Salvador Alfaro Castaneda, 26, of Columbus.
Following the impact, both vehicles overturned and caught fire. Galloso Olvera and Olvera were in Castaneda’s Jeep, although the exact nature of their relationship remains unclear. Middleton was in Dotson’s vehicle at the time of the crash. Castaneda sustained serious injuries and was transported to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital for treatment. It was reported that he was wearing a seatbelt, yet the status of his passengers’ seatbelt usage is unknown.
Tragically, Dotson and Middleton were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision. The Highway Patrol stated that the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the potential involvement of drugs or alcohol, are currently under investigation. As the community mourns the loss of these individuals, authorities are working to piece together the events leading up to this tragic incident.