SWANTON, Ohio — Four people were killed and at least 10 others injured in multiple traffic crashes Thursday morning on a stretch of the Ohio Turnpike in northwest Ohio. A section of the highway was closed in both directions for several hours.
The State Highway Patrol told WTOL Channel 11 that there were three separate crashes on a 15-mile stretch of highway. The first crash occurred at about 5:34 a.m. in the eastbound lanes west of Toledo, the patrol said. Two people were killed in the crash, which involved a car and a truck carrying sulfuric acid. Rescue crews set up a 150-foot-wide containment perimeter around the spilled liquid.
The second accident occurred when traffic was backed up after the first incident. Four commercial vehicles and one passenger car were involved. One person was killed.
A third accident occurred nearly an hour after the first and killed one person. WTOL reports that a total of 12 vehicles were involved in the accidents. About 100 firefighters from 10 different departments responded.
WTVG Channel 13 reports that hazardous materials cleanup crews were called to clean up sulfuric acid, acetone and methanol. WTVG also reports that some emergency responders were hospitalized due to exposure to the chemicals.
All lanes of the toll road were reopened around 3 p.m. The National Transportation Safety Board is reportedly assisting in the investigation of the accident.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
