A Saturday afternoon drive turned into complete heartbreak on Interstate 71, taking the lives of two young people in an instant. It was right around 3:15 p.m. when a vehicle suddenly drifted off the highway and crashed into a ditch along the shoulder.
Heaven Hennings was only 20 years old and riding with two friends from Cleveland when the crash happened. She never got the chance to go home. Paramedics rushed her to a nearby hospital by ambulance, but doctors were unable to save her.
Sitting in the car with her was 19-year-old Caiden Ozanich, who was also from Cleveland. He lost his life right there at the scene along the interstate before first responders could even move him.
The wreck happened along the southbound lanes of I-71, right between Pearl Road and Royalton Road in Strongsville. Within minutes, the quiet stretch of highway turned into a hectic scene filled with flashing lights and sirens.
Local police and state officers had to close down part of the interstate for hours. Fire trucks blocked off traffic while medical helicopters landed on the highway lanes to give emergency aid.
The driver of the car, 20-year-old I’saic Pace of Cleveland, managed to survive the initial impact. He suffered multiple severe injuries and had to be flown by helicopter straight to a hospital for emergency treatment.
Friends and family members are left trying to make sense of a sudden loss that came out of nowhere. Police are still looking into what caused the car to leave the road on a clear afternoon.
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