Police: Woman dead after car hits semi traveling 5 mph on I-75 in Dayton

“So far through the investigation we have found that there was indeed a semi that was driving at an extremely slow rate of speed — we’re estimating less than 5 mph — on the interstate at which time a car traveling at interstate speeds hit the back of this tractor, ultimately causing the death of the front seat passenger of the car,” said Dayton police Sgt. Gordon Cairns, traffics services unit supervisor.

The male driver and two young children in the back of the car were taken to local hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening. The driver of the semi was not taken to the hospital.

The woman killed in the crash was not wearing a seat belt, Cairns said.

It’s not clear why the semi, which had its hazard lights on, was going slow nor whether there were any mechanical issues. The speed of the car also is under investigation.

The crash took place around 11:40 p.m. on I-75 North between the West Third Street ramp and North Main Street exit ramp.

The highway has five northbound lanes in that area and the semi was in the right of the three through lanes, Cairns said.

Investigators are working with the semi driver’s employer and the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s commercial vehicle enforcement inspectors.

Cairns reminded motorists that vehicles need a certain amount of time to slow down while on the highway and anyone experiencing mechanical issues should get off the interstate as soon as possible.

“We want to stress that if your car, truck or any sort of vehicle you’re operating starts to have some sort of mechanical malfunction to immediately get off the interstate,” he said.

Dispatch did receive a call about a semi traveling slowly on the highway prior to the crash and police already were looking for the semi when the crash took place.

Semitractor-trailer crashes aren’t unusual in that stretch of highway, Cairns said.

“This is the location where typically we have semis tip over and block the lanes,” he said. “We stress to the truck drivers and to anyone driving their vehicles, if you’re feeling tired pull over to the side of the road, pull off to a rest area and just get off the highway.”