ATHENS CO., OH (WCMH) — The Athens County post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol says a man died in a single-vehicle crash Sunday morning, and that alcohol and drugs may have contributed.
The Patrol says a 28-year-old man was driving a 1995 Chevrolet C/K 1500 southbound on SR-144. He “failed to negotiate a curve” and slid off the left side of the road, striking a ditch and a small group of trees. He fled and was later found at the Holzer Meigs Emergency Department in Pomeroy, “where he declined further treatment and was released.”
His passenger, 54-year-old Michael Taylor of Coolville, was pronounced dead from injuries sustained in the crash.
The Patrol says neither man was wearing a seatbelt, and that alcohol and drugs are suspected as contributing to the crash.