WILMINGTON – The Ohio State Highway Patrol Wilmington Post is investigating a three-vehicle, double-fatality crash that occurred on Interstate 71 northbound just south of Milepost 47 in Clinton County.
At approximately 2:36 p.m., a 2007 Freightliner tractor-trailer, driven by Sam Hussein, 43, of Columbus, Ohio was traveling southbound on Interstate 71 and experienced a blowout of the left front tire. The Freightliner then went across the median into oncoming northbound traffic, according to the OSHP.
A 2000 Mercury Sable, driven by Karen Stutrud, 63, of Oregonia, Ohio, and a 2020 Freightliner tractor-trailer, driven by Timothy Brown Sr., 55, of Lewisburg, Tennessee were both struck head-on by Hussein’s semi tractor-trailer.
Both Stutrud and Brown were pronounced dead at the scene. Hussein and his passenger, Mohamud Mohamed, 76, of Columbus, were transported by ambulance to Clinton Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The crash remains under investigation. No impairment is suspected and all drivers were wearing seatbelts.
Both sides of I-71 were closed to traffic for hours, with the southbound lanes opened at about 6:30 p.m. while the northbound lanes remained closed.