Chris Gwynne, 19, of Englewood was one of five people in the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt headed southeast on Salem Avenue around 1:35 a.m. April 30, 2023, when the driver, identified as Minor, lost control near Harvard Boulevard. The car rotated counterclockwise before going off the right side of the road and crashing into an RTA pole, according to a Dayton Police Department crash report.
Minor and 19-year-old Jalen Waldon of Harrison Twp. suffered serious injuries, while three others aged 16-18 suffered minor injuries, the crash report stated. All five were taken to Miami Valley Hospital.
Witness statements and other evidence determined that Minor was traveling more than 70 mph in the 35 mph zone when she lost control of the car, which skidded before the rear end slammed into the pole.
Gwynne was seated in the middle of the back seat, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Dayton Daily News had interviewed Gwynne in December 2022 about his post-high school choices.
Credit: Eileen McClory
Credit: Eileen McClory
He said he already knew he wanted to be a trucker because his uncle and cousin work in the industry and make a good living.
“Most of your time is on the road and delivering that stuff. That’s the only downside of it,” Gwynne said. “I actually know that they make good money and that’s why I like it.”
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