OHIO — A man was seriously injured Wednesday afternoon after a truck struck a parked SUV along Interstate 71 in Richland County, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Authorities said the crash occurred around 12:32 p.m. near mile marker 163 on I-71.
Troopers reported that a 2023 Freightliner box truck, driven by a man from North Royalton, was traveling northbound when it veered onto the right shoulder and hit a parked Toyota RAV4 occupied by two people.
One of the occupants, 73-year-old Harold Merz of Westerville, was extricated from the vehicle and transported by medical helicopter to Ohio State University Hospital with serious injuries.
A second occupant, 75-year-old Brenda Merz, also of Westerville, was taken by ambulance to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities said a passenger in the box truck was also transported to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.
All lanes of Interstate 71 were temporarily closed following the crash but have since reopened.
The crash remains under investigation.
