4 Ohioans killed in WV wrong-way crash

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BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia State Police believe alcohol may have factored into a wrong-way crash in Raleigh County that killed four people, including two girls 6 and 9 years old, who were returning from their vacation to Disney World.

The crash happened about 1:30 a.m. Monday on the West Virginia Turnpike south of Beckley, Lt. Michael Baylous said.

Baylous said 35-year-old Cory Sheward, of Tiffin, Ohio, was driving a pickup truck south in the northbound lane and hit an SUV head-on with eight people inside.

Sheward and the other four in the SUV suffered injuries that don’t appear life-threatening, Baylous said.

Police expect to charge Sheward with four counts each of driving under the influence causing death and causing bodily injury, Baylous said. He was in the hospital as of Tuesday morning and hadn’t yet been charged, he said.

He said the victims were family members returning to Ohio from Disney World. They were identified as 27-year-old Maxine Wade and 29-year-old Carlisa Crowell of Grove City, Ohio, and two girls ages 6 and 9.

Police did not release the names of the two girls.

The other four people in the SUV were 27, 8, 4 and 3 years old.

No one in either vehicle was wearing a seatbelt, Baylous said. Police believe Sheward did not follow a curve on the highway and drove through a crossover to head into oncoming traffic, he said.

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