Staff Reports
FAYETTE COUNTY – A Circleville man was killed late Saturday in a crash on U.S. Route 22 SE in Fayette County.
Shannon Brown, 41, of Circleville, was pronounced dead by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office upon arrival at Fayette Memorial Hospital, according to Sheriff Vernon Stanforth.
In a press release, Stanforth said Brown was traveling west on Route 22 SE about 11:11 p.m. Saturday when he failed to negotiate a curve and lost control of his 2007 Mercedes. The vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway, striking a utility pole and rolling multiple times. The vehicle caught fire and came to rest in the driveway area of the Buckeye Propane bulk plant.
Brown was reportedly not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle suffered heavy damage and was towed from the scene.
Stanforth said alcohol is suspected as a factor.
Prior to the crash, an officer with the New Holland Police Department reported he observed Brown’s vehicle traveling in excess of the posted speed limit within the village, Stanforth said. The officer attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle continued at excessive speed, and he lost sight of it until driving upon the crash scene.
Route 22 between Clemens Road and White Road remained closed for several hours as crews from Dayton Power & Light Company worked to repair the utility pole and high-voltage power lines hanging across the roadway.
Members of the Pic-A-Fay Fire Department, the Washington Fire Department, the Bloomingburg-Paint-Marion Township Fire Department and the Sheriff’s Rescue Unit assisted at the scene, along with traffic control provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The crash remains under investigation by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
