MACEDONIA, Ohio — The driver who was killed in Saturday’s fiery crash at Route 8 and I-271 in Macedonia has been identified as 31-year-old Jason Stevens of Ashtabula.
The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office released his name shortly before noon Monday, saying the autopsy has been completed and the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The manner of death has been ruled accidental.
Stevens' wife told 3News he grew up in Pennsylvania and had "so many friends" who will miss him. The couple's daughter, Amelia, turns 2 in April.
ROAD CLOSURES UPDATE
The Ohio Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday that one lane of the ramp from State Route 8 North to I-271 North is now open. One lane will stay closed while additional inspections are being performed.
“A hands-on in-depth inspection was done to verify that the structure did not receive any damage that would affect its structural capacity,” said Ohio Department of Transportation District 4 Deputy Director Gery Noirot.
Route 8 South between Highland Road and Hines Hill Road remains closed at the crash site. ODOT says a contractor has begun to make repairs to the top layer of the roadway on the bridge that carries the highway over Brandywine Creek. Repairs include milling off and replacing the top layer of the concrete on the structure.
ODOT says crews are working to have at least one lane of Route 8 South open prior to next Monday's rush hour.
Meanwhile, in an update sent out onTuesday, ODOT announced the ramp from I-271 South to Route 8 South, which was closed for several days, is reopening.
“Inspectors determined that while repairs will be needed, the damage was cosmetic, not structural,” said Noirot.
In addition to the repairs, cleanup crews continue using the ramp as a staging area for their operations. This means only one lane of the ramp will reopen. No estimate was given on when the second lane will reopen.
“We are doing everything possible to reopen the full interchange as quickly as possible. However, we will not reopen anything before we are certain it is safe to do so,” added Noirot.
Motorists are advised to check OHGO.com and follow @ODOT_Akron on X, formerly Twitter, for updated travel information.
DETOURS
If your travels bring you to this area, here's the suggested detour route from ODOT to avoid the traffic...
Drivers looking to head south on SR 8 can detour via SR 82 to I-480 to SR 91 to SR 303 back to SR 8. Motorists trying to access I-271 northbound from SR 8 northbound can do so via SR 82.
“Motorists should plan ahead and give themselves plenty of extra time during their commute in the upcoming week,” Noirot added. “Please continue to check OHGO daily to find the easiest way around these closures.”
DETAILS OF THE CRASH
Authorities in Macedonia say they first received a call about the crash at 9:15 a.m. with crews at the scene three minutes later.
The fiery crash involved "some type of fuel truck" that had overturned off the I-271 North entrance ramp to Route 8.
"Macedonia Fire’s officer arrived on scene and established a defensive operation," according to a press release. "He immediately called for Summit County’s HAZMAT team and a representative from the EPA, due to the amount of black smoke and fire present. Fuel from the tanker was getting into Brandywine Creek and moving downstream. As members of the hazmat team arrived, absorbent dikes were placed in several places to stop the flow of fuel."
Officials say a total of 60 firefighters from various departments responded to the scene as Route 8 was closed in both directors at I-271.
"Macedonia firefighters extinguished the truck fire, and hazmat teams worked alongside the EPA to mitigate the spill in the waterways," officials said. "It was estimated that the truck was carrying approximately 7,500 gallons of petroleum fuel. Ohio Edison was called to the scene to address a utility pole and wires that were brought down from the accident."
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The Environmental Protection Agency was on scene through the weekend, working to survey and contain the spill in the air, spoil and water. The tanker truck was carrying 7,500 gallons of diesel fuel.
"The explosion happened immediately, and so there was a release to the air in terms of the fire," Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel said. "So we don't how much was burned off and how much was spilled."
But they do know at least some of the fuel spilled onto the road and into Brandywine Creek, which runs right under Route 8 and the I-271 on ramp.
"Any release to water of the state is a significant concern for us," Vogel stressed. "We're looking to make sure we stop it, that we contain it. When we're not seeing anymore product in the creek, that's when its clean."
Vogel says their contractors will return to the scene to look for residual contamination after water levels in the creek from the recent rain and snow drop.
STATEMENT FROM THE TRUCKING COMPANY
On Tuesday, 3News received the following statement from the Kenan Advantage Group of North Canton, the company that employed Stevens:
"On Saturday, January 27, one of our professional drivers, Jason Stevens, was involved in a single-vehicle accident in Macedonia, Ohio. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and co-workers of our KAG team member, who did not survive the accident.
"Our primary concern has always been for the safety and security of our employees, the public, our customers, and the environment. This is an exceedingly difficult time for our organization as this tragedy impacts all of us in the KAG family.
"We have been working closely with local officials and corresponding agencies and will continue to do so in the days ahead. We would like to thank all the first responders for their immediate response to this incident."