Jackknifed Truck Hits Parked Car, Kills Man On Ohio I-71

February 15th, 2010 |

MADISON COUNTY, OH – A man died after the parked car he was in was hit by a tractor trailer truck on a highway in Madison County, Ohio. The truck accident happened Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 71 southwest of the city of Columbus, OH. The accident area is in the central section of the state, 82 miles northeast of Cincinnati and 160 miles south of Toledo, OH.

The tractor trailer jack-knifed and slammed into a Buick Regal car that was parked on I-71.

At around 2:30 p.m. Feb 10, last Wednesday afternoon, 31 year old Chawn Griffin of Groveport, OH was driving his tractor trailer south on Interstate 71. As he drove in the area of Route 56, Mr. Griffin was attempting to change lanes when he lost control of his 18 wheeler on the windy, snowy highway. The tractor trailer jack-knifed and slammed into a Buick Regal car that was parked on the side of the interstate. The tractor truck went up on the Buick Regal, pinning it underneath the rig.

Inside the car were 47 year old Gregory Whitson of Cincinnati, OH and his uncle 75 year old Howard Whitson of Dent, OH. The two men had picked up a van earlier in Columbus and were headed back home to Cincinnati, Gregory Whitson driving the van and Howard Whitson driving the car. At one point Gregory Whitson lost control of the van on the slick highway and ended up in a ditch.

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The two men had called a tow truck and were sitting in the Buick Regal waiting for it to arrive. Their car was in the interstate’s emergency lane when they were hit by the jack-knifed tractor trailer truck. Local emergency rescue personnel responded to the scene and worked to extricate the two men from the car. They would work for more than an hour before the men were finally free.

According to Ohio State Highway Police the younger man, Gregory Whitson, suffered fatal injuries in the truck accident and was pronounced dead at the scene.

His uncle, Howard Whitson, sustained serious injuries in the truck accident. He was stabilized at the accident scene and then transported to nearby Madison County Hospital in London, OH. He was later transferred to Grant Medical Center in Columbus. The most recent report listed Mr. Whitson as conscious and in serious condition, and one family member stated that he did not remember much about the truck accident. The truck driver, Mr. Griffin, was not injured in the truck accident.

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Ohio State Highway Patrol authorities are still investigating the truck accident. They said that the tractor trailer was empty at the time of the truck accident, and may have been vulnerable to the strong winds. The wintery weather was also likely a contributing factor to the truck accident.

No charges or citations have been filed at this time.

For more information about Ohio trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact a nationwide truck accident attorney for the best advise possible. For a free initial consultation, talk to an Ohio truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.