LODI, Ohio — A Cleveland man died on Tuesday morning after crashing into an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) truck in Harrisville Township.
In video obtained by 3News via a public records request, a 2019 Toyota Tacoma can be seen crashing into the ODOT truck on I-71 northbound near Route 83.
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers from the Medina Post were called out to investigate the crash in which the Tacoma hits the ODOT truck from behind while it is plowing snow in the left lane of the highway.
The driver has since been identified as 71-year-old Joseph W. Wheeler of Cleveland. The driver of the ODOT plow was not hurt.
In the last two weeks alone, 12 ODOT trucks have been involved in accidents. In 2020, only eight trucks were involved throughout the whole year.
"People don't realize how much our drivers have going in in the cab of their truck," ODOT spokesperson and former plow driver Crystal Neelon told 3News. "They're trying to pay attention to how much material they're using, to how much material they're putting on the roadway."
"Our snow plows are very heavy, they're very sturdy," ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks said Tuesday. "If you hit a snowplow, you and you vehicle will be the ones to come out the worst for it."
Editor's note: the video in the player below is from a story published on February 16, 2021.