No charges filed in turnpike crash

Watch body cam footage of the crash here: vimeo.com/792666337/718c53cb03 GROTON TWP. — After three months, prosecutors opted against pursuing charges against anyone involved in a high-profile crash claiming the lives of four people and one unborn child. "Here, the winter storm conditions on the day of Dec. 23, 2022 (regarding the) Ohio Turnpike accident were an act of God or nature that was so unusual and overwhelming that it was likely a major contributing factor in the pileup," according to a report issued Wednesday from the Erie County prosecutor's office sent to the Register. The prosecutor's office defines "act of God," in the legal sense, as "any irresistible disaster, the result of natural causes, such as earthquakes, violent storms, lightning and unprecedented floods." Wicked weather The crash occurred at about 12:30 p.m. that day at mile-marker 106 in Groton Township. It's located between the Ohio 53 and Ohio 4 exits. Because the pileup happened within Erie County, Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers handed off the investigation to this office. Dec. 23 also began a three-day-long area cold snap preceding and spanning through Christmas Day. Approved by county prosecutor Kevin Baxter, this report's findings summarized the day's blizzard-like conditions: winds topping 36 mph, gusts exceeding 48 mph and the temperature dipping to minus 4 degrees. "The strong winds and severe and blowing snow resulted in whiteout conditions with low visibility," the report stated. "The slowing traffic for diminished visibility and road conditions were likely strong enough to cause the pileup by their own power, independently of potential negligence by individual drivers." Erie County's report also heavily relied upon dashcam footage taken by the patrol of this incident's aftermath. Shortly after the pileup, troopers arrived on scene to investigate what happened. The patrol "found that the first impact in the crash 'was due to the traffic slowing for diminished visibility from blowing snow' and 'the sudden change in visibility and the road conditions appear to be a major contributing factor in the crash,'" according to Erie County's report, referencing the state's. Two people are listed in the patrol's report. It's not known if they're suspects or what roles they played in this incident. But Erie County's two-page report concluded by indicating "The interests of justice would, therefore, not be served by prosecuting individuals involved in the accident." Crash details Troopers noted 73 people suffered injuries in a crash involving 51 vehicles on the turnpike. Among those who died as a result of this incident: • Bernard Bloniarz, 59, of Napoleon, Ohio • Francisco Gutierrez-Martinez, 30, of Cleveland • Julie Roth, 37, of Toledo and who also has ties to Berlin Heights; In a statement, Roth's family noted she was pregnant. • Emma Smith, 19, of Webberville, Michigan Following the crash: • The patrol dispatched buses to the scene. These buses took people from their vehicles to a local facility so they could stay warm. • This area of the Ohio Turnpike remained closed for more than a day. The toll road didn't fully open in both directions until about 5 p.m. Saturday. While at the scene, on Dec. 23, patrol Sgt. Ryan Purpura, via video, offered a public service message to the traveling public. "Tragically, four people lost their lives, and many more were injured," he said. "This is a stark reminder of what can happen when you get behind the wheel and try to drive in bad weather conditions."