A late afternoon drive through northwest Ohio turned fatal when a family SUV rolled off the pavement, taking the life of 29-year-old Austin J. Karr Grimes.
The crash happened around 4:13 p.m. at the rural crossing of State Route 66 and County Road N in Gorham Township. Karr Grimes was heading south in his 1993 GMC Suburban with two passengers inside.
At the same time, a 2024 Ram 3500 pickup truck driven by 34-year-old Washington G. Naula Ochoa was traveling westbound on County Road N. State troopers say Naula Ochoa blew right past a stop sign and pulled straight into the path of the oncoming SUV.
The heavy pickup slammed into the Suburban, sending Karr Grimes spinning out of control. The SUV slid partially off the west side of the roadway before flipping onto its side.
First responders rushed to the scene, but Karr Grimes suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead right there along the road.
Inside his vehicle were 26-year-old Emilee Campbell and 3-year-old Maggie Karr Grimes. Both survived the wreck and were rushed by emergency crews to Saint Vincent’s Hospital to get treated for minor injuries.
Naula Ochoa and his three passengers escaped the crash without a scratch. Law enforcement officers took Naula Ochoa into custody shortly after, booking him into the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio on charges of vehicular homicide and failure to yield. State troopers noted that drugs and alcohol were not involved, though seat belt usage played a factor in the outcome.
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