COLUMBUS – A Wellston man who died after driving into floodwaters in Pike County Thursday despite signs informing drivers that the road was closed appears to have been the first death caused by flooding in Ohio.
Rain, combined with melting snow, and ice dams causes by warmer temperatures sent creeks and rivers over their banks Thursday, closing roads and prompting flood warnings.
As of 6:15am, we have 82 roads with high water on them. 62 are closed and 20 are restricted. Please don’t drive around barricades or through high water! You can find all the locations impacted by flooding at https://t.co/ulNKKYsusD. pic.twitter.com/tldJvr22FF
— Ohio Dept of Transportation (@ODOT_Statewide) February 8, 2019
The body of Donald Denny was found near his vehicle on State Route 124, near the intersection of State Route 772 early Thursday morning by a Pike County sheriff’s deputy and paramedic responding to a 911 call received at 6:17 a.m. in which the caller reported a man lying in the road, Sheriff Charles Reader said.
Pike County Coroner Dave Kessler pronounced Denny, 58, dead at the scene, Reader said.
Denny’s vehicle was found almost 700 feet inside signs placed in the roadway Wednesday night marking the road closed.
“No one should ever remove a barricade put in place for the safety of, not only themselves, but for other traveling motorists as well…this is very unfortunate due to every step being in place to prevent such a tragedy,” Reader said in a release.
Kessler ordered an autopsy to confirm the exact cause of death but but the preliminary investigation indicated that Denny died as a result of drowning or overexertion and a heart condition while battling the strong current of the floodwaters, which Reader says were several feet deep covering the roadway Wednesday night.
Water inside Denny’s vehicle indicated that it had been at least half-submerged in the water, Reader said.
A flood warning for the Scioto River at Circleville was extended until Tuesday afternoon when the river was expected to crest five feet above flood stage, when serious serious flooding could occur, mainly west of Circleville.
The Ohio Department of Transportation closed State Route 762 between State Route 104 and U.S. Route 23 due to flooding from the Scioto River.
Another flood warning was issued for the Big Darby Creek at Darbyville until Saturday afternoon. The creek was expected to crest near 11.4 feet Friday, which might result in lowland flooding in Franklin, Pickaway and Madison Counties.
ODOT closed a ramp from I-270 to U.S. 23 on the South Side of Columbus early Friday morning because of high water.
Spring-like weather, coming on the heels of bitter cold, brought a threat of severe storms. The National Weather Service sent a team to Clark County Friday to determine if tornadoes caused damage near Pitchin, where a funnel cloud was reported, and southeast of Catawba.