COLUMBUS — Two men in a semitrailer were killed after clipping the back of an SUV entering Interstate 71 northbound south of Grove City early Sunday morning, shutting down the northbound lanes of the interstate for several hours
The driver of the semitrailer pulling a milk tanker lost control and overturned after hitting the back of the Ford Expedition entering the freeway from Harrisburg Pike at approximately 6:00 a.m., according to the office of Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin. After striking the SUV, the semi lost control, over-turned, went off the roadway to the right, and struck the guardrail.
James Ross, 41, of Joelton, Tenn., and 22-year-old Skyler Davis of Russellville, Ky., were ejected from the semitrailer and pronounced dead at the scene.
None of the five occupants in the SUV, driven by Ernesto Mata, 25, of Houston, were injured.
The sheriff’s office says it’s unclear who was driving the semitrailer or if the men were using seatbelts.
Baldwin’s office said neither alcohol nor drugs were suspected to have been factors in the crash.