On Dec. 20, a 4-year-old died in a two-car crash at the intersection of Clay Street and Sexton Road. OSHP is investigating the circumstances of the collision.
ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio — Ashtabula County is planning to implement new safety measures at an Austinburg Township intersection after a four-year old was killed in a two-car crash last Friday.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) says troopers responded to a crash at the intersection of Clay Street and Sexton Road at around 12:52 p.m. on Dec. 20.
According to the OSHP, a woman driving a white SUV with a 4-year-old inside stopped at the stop sign on Sexton. When she pulled out, they were hit by a 16-year-old driver coming westbound on Clay Street, which does not have a stop sign.
RELATED: Ohio State Highway Patrol: 4-year-old child dead after crash in Ashtabula County
The two drivers were not injured, but the 4-year-old in the white SUV was. OSHP says the child was taken to University Hospitals Geneva Medical Center, but was later pronounced dead.
The Ashtabula County Coroner tells 3News they will not release the identity of the 4-year-old, because the investigation is ongoing.
“My heart, I think all of our hearts go out to this poor family that has experienced this loss,” said Ashtabula County Commissioner J.P. Ducro.
Ducro says the county is evaluating the intersection, and it’s not the first time.
Ashtabula County Engineer Tim Martin says the county implemented flashing lights on the intersection stop signs in the summer of 2023 after noticing the intersection was a repeated trouble spot.
Martin says the new safety measures were initially successful. Following the implementation of the flashing lights, only one crash happened in 2023. However, over the course of 2024, Martin says there were five crashes.
The engineer started a new traffic study of the intersection on Monday, and because of the data they’ve collected in the past, he believes they should have a recommendation for more measures soon.
“We’re here to try to do anything we can to hopefully help this being stopped from happening to anyone else in the future,” said Ducro.
3News reached out to OSHP for more information on the crash, and they sent this statement:
“Preliminary investigation shows that the 4-year-old child was in a car seat and the child safety belt was utilized. We are consulting with the prosecutor’s office to determine what charges will be filed, or if charges will be filed. We are looking into several factors of the crash investigation yet, and have not fully completed the report.”
