Abraham Smith Jr. Killed in Traffic Accident on I-71 in Morrow County, OH
Morrow County, OH — November 30, 2022, 55-year-old Abraham Smith Jr. died in a collision with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 71 in Morrow County.
Authorities say the incident happened Wednesday evening along I-71 north of Columbus. Preliminary investigation suggests Smith was traveling on the freeway when he may have lost control for some reason. His vehicle passed through the median into the oncoming traffic lanes, then collided with a semi-truck. The truck then hit another vehicle. Smith's vehicle and the big rig both caught fire during the crash.
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. The other drivers reportedly received minor injuries.
The investigation continues. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Abraham Smith Jr. Accident in Morrow County
Clearly this incident is tragic, and I think most would agree that the loss of a man's life is more than enough cause for a careful and thorough investigation. Having said that, though, I wonder how much attention law enforcement really plans to pay here.
When a driver mysteriously loses control of their vehicle in a situation like this, the unfortunate assumption made by many people--police sometimes among them--is that he did something wrong. It's true that operator mistakes like getting distracted or swerving while speeding are common, but that doesn't mean anything can or should be taken for granted. For all anyone knows the car hit a bad patch of road and lost traction. It also could have had a mechanical failure or defect, or the driver could have had a medical emergency. There are many potential explanations and all of them deserve careful attention before conclusions are reached. Will police investigators take the time and care needed to find the whole story for a grieving family?
