A Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy was in a marked sheriff’s office transport van on the side of I-75 South with six inmate workers picking up litter on the side of the highway around 11 a.m. Oct. 3 when it was hit by an Aramark box truck, Sheriff Rob Streck said.
The box truck driven by 37-year-old Jeffery L. Collins of Dayton, got on the Ohio 741 exit ramp and struck the transport van, which was stopped partially in the exit lane to the state route with its emergency lights activated, according to a crash report filed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Dayton Post, which investigated the crash.
The impact forced the van to strike Timothy Tufano, 52, of Dayton, who in turn knocked over three other inmates before he hit the guardrail. The van also struck the guardrail, the report stated.
Tufano was pronounced dead at the scene. John C. Riggs, 47, of Dayton, was taken to Miami Valley Hospital with serious injuries. Donald Fugate of Kettering, Jeremy Wilken of Butler Twp., both 43, and the deputy, who was not identified on the crash report, each suffered minor injuries and also were taken to Miami Valley Hospital.
After striking the van, the box truck was forced back into the southbound lanes of I-75 and struck a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze driven by Ann M. Jones, 64, of Troy. The Cruze and box truck then hit the median barrier and a 2018 Toyota Tundra driven by Logan G. Hofferbert, 42, of Brookville, struck the back of the box truck.
The report indicated Collins was following too closely and that he was distracted by something in the vehicle. No charges have been filed at this time.
We are working to learn more about the crash and will update this report.
About the Author
