There were 333 Ohio roadway fatalities at this time in 2021, OSHP officials said.
On Tuesday, the Hamilton Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol was dispatched just before 9 a.m. to the area about three miles north of the Ohio 129 exit, near Liberty Way, in front of a rest area, said Sgt. Ryan Purpura from OSHP.
The preliminary investigation shows that Faustin Muhire was operating a 2016 Freightliner hauling an empty trailer and traveling in the left middle lane.
James Barnett III was driving a 2022 Kenworth hauling a flatbed trailer that was loaded with aluminum coils and also in the left middle lane. Muhire slowed in the lane of travel for an unknown reason, according to the state patrol. Barnett swerved to the right, striking the right rear trailer.
Barnett’s vehicle overturned, drove off the left side of the roadway and into the concrete median. He was ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene by Liberty Twp. Fire and EMS paramedics, according to the state patrol. An autopsy is planned for Wednesday, according to the Butler County Coroner’s Office.
Muhire’s condition was not released by the state patrol.
Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash that remains under investigation, according to the state patrol.
During the investigation, northbound traffic was rerouted on Ohio 129. That state route and other roads were packed with motorists who worked their way back onto northbound I-75.
Troopers were assisted on scene by members of the Ohio Department of Transportation, Butler County Sheriff’s Office and Liberty Twp. Fire and EMS.
During rush hour on Tuesday, traffic was still slow in the area of the crash and backed up about a mile in both directions.
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