NTSB says truck driver’s inattention, weak traffic management behind deadly Ohio I-70 crash
A truck driver’s inattention set off a deadly chain-reaction crash on Interstate 70 near Etna, Ohio, killing six people and injuring more than 40 others, according to a new National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report.
On Nov. 14, 2023, a Mid-State Systems truck failed to slow for backed-up traffic from an earlier crash. It struck the rear of the queue, colliding with a passenger vehicle and a chartered motorcoach carrying schoolchildren. Fire spread through the wreckage, killing three students on the motorcoach and three occupants of the passenger vehicle.
Investigators concluded the driver’s inattention and failure to respond were primary causes. But they also cited weak traffic management, lack of real-time information for travelers, and the absence of a driver monitoring system that could have redirected the driver’s attention. The speed difference between the truck and stopped traffic, along with the post-crash fire, worsened outcomes.
“We’ve seen this crash scenario far too often — and it’s preventable,” said NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. “Proven technologies can warn drivers of slowed traffic and prevent collisions before they happen.”
Eight new recommendations
The board issued eight new recommendations and reiterated two earlier ones. They include stronger federal guidance for traffic queue management, performance standards for commercial-vehicle collision avoidance systems, mandatory driver monitoring, and tougher fire safety standards for motorcoaches.
The Tuscarawas Valley School District was urged to prioritize bus operators offering lap/shoulder belts. The Ohio DOT was advised to implement a statewide variable speed limit strategy.
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We need much better signage to explain when to wait in a lane and when to use both lanes to a planned and signed Zipper Merge . I have seen many crashes caused in Canada because not enough warning a car running up to the end then cutting off a big truck that ends with flipped over truck or some hurt or expired. WE need more traffic trucks so cars to not and trucks try to go hyway speeds to the end then cut in and call a zipper merge Every truck should have working C B if over 10,000 lbs. and traffic warning ahead alarms if built after 2020
Yes there is technology that can prevent this. It’s called a CB radio. And it’s been with us for generations. It’s time to make it mandatory that every truck has one tuned to channel 19. Meanwhile , this nonsense about truck cameras and sensors needs to be stopped.