3 dead in 2 turnpike crashes

BERLIN TWP. — Three people are dead after two separate crashes occurred on the Ohio Turnpike on Sunday morning. Just before 7 a.m. and east of the Frailey Road overpass in Berlin Township, a tow truck was on the side of the road to deal with a vehicle in the ditch. While the tow driver was out of the vehicle, an eastbound box truck veered out of its lane of travel and struck the tow truck, according to a media release from the Milan post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The box truck's driver, a 31-year-old Indianapolis man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a Lorain hospital for treatment, the release states. His passenger, Dantrail Reese, 32, of Indianapolis, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The tow truck's driver was out of the vehicle at the time and was not injured, according to the release. While traffic backed up due to the crash, a Peterbilt semi that was hauling a tank came to a stop. It was then struck in the rear by a Toyota Sienna minivan. The van's driver, Hongwei Wang, 56, of Chicago, died at the scene as a result of her injuries. Wang's passenger, 56-year-old Zhangli Liu, also died at the scene. The semi's driver, a 43-year-old Sparta, Wisconsin, man, was not injured, the release states. The patrol did not state who was or was not wearing their seat belts during either crash. The turnpike was closed for about three hours while the scene was investigated and cleared. Both crashes remain under investigation.