WEST MILTON — Troopers from the Piqua Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to a single-vehicle fatal crash that occurred at approximately 3:33 p.m. on Saturday.
The crash took place in the 11400 Block of W Frederick-Garland Road in Miami County. A 2014 Chevrolet Impala was westbound on West Frederick-Garland Road when it drove off the roadway striking a telephone pole and tree. The vehicle caught fire as a result of the crash. The driver, and sole occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Monday, Lt. Joseph Gebhart said the driver’s name is being withheld until positive verification can be obtained by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.
Troopers from the patrol’s Crash Reconstruction Unit are assisting with the investigation. The Ludlow Falls, West Milton and Laura fire departments, West Milton Police, and Miami County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation at this time.
In the sheriff’s reports, it was noted that the Miami County Dispatch Communication systems were inoperable at the time of the incident. On Monday, Jeff Busch, director of the Miami County Communication Center said at 3:23 p.m. Saturday, a contractor for Spectrum was digging in an area around Experiment Farm and hit an underground power line that shorted out, causing the center’s power outage. The 9-1-1 system was then put into a back-up system and all systems were back online and operations were back to normal within 20 minutes of the power outage incident.
