Two people died in a head-on collision involving an Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) trooper in Ross County on Aug. 26, 2025.
The crash occurred shortly before 10:20 a.m. on State Route 104 when a red 2012 Chevrolet Silverado truck crossed the centerline and struck the trooper’s vehicle, according to OSHP. Both vehicles veered off the west side of the road, resulting in the Silverado catching fire.
Harold R. Smith Jr., 45, of Circleville, was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger, Amber Aills, 29, of Chillicothe, was transported to Adena Regional Medical Center, where she later died.
The trooper, whose identity has not been released, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was initially taken to Adena Regional Medical Center before being transferred to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
OSHP is investigating the cause of the crash, including why the Silverado crossed the centerline. This incident marks the second double fatal crash involving an OSHP trooper in less than a month.
On July 31, a couple was killed in Athens County when their Toyota Prius collided with a trooper’s vehicle responding to a traffic infraction. The trooper in that incident also sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
According to state data, 23 individuals were killed in vehicle crashes involving law enforcement agencies in Ohio from 2020 to 2024.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com.