Troopers: Dayton father, daughter among 8 crash deaths over holiday weekend

Fewest number of fatalities over Thanksgiving since 2018.

A Dayton father, daughter who died in a Preble County crash were among eight deaths in seven crashes on Ohio’s roadways over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the fewest since 2018.

Last year, 19 people died in 18 crashes reported during the same time frame, between midnight Wednesday through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported Monday.

Of the eight people killed, one was not wearing a seat belt and one crash involved impaired driving, the patrol said.

Michael Wilt, 66, and his daughter Lindsay Wilt, 36, were identified as the pair who died as a result of a two-vehicle crash Saturday evening in Monroe Twp., between the villages of Eldorado and West Manchester, in Preble County.

Michael Wilt was driving a 2023 Nissan Rogue west on Wikel Road when a 16-year-old New Madison boy driving a 2003 Ford F150 pickup truck south on Monroe Central Road did not stop at a stop sign and collided with the Nissan, according to the Preble County Sheriff’s Office.

The impact caused the Nissan to overturn and come to rest on its top in a field on the southwest side of the intersection.

The Wilts were pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the pickup truck, who was not identified, was treated for minor injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

During the Thanksgiving reporting period, troopers arrested 319 people for operating a vehicle while impaired and 111 for illegal drugs. Troopers also issued citations for 526 seat belt and 181 distracted driving violations.

Throughout the holiday reporting period, troopers also assisted 1,567 motorists.

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