WALNUT TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A major two-vehicle collision on US-23 sent three people to area hospitals—including one via medical helicopter—and shut down traffic for over two hours on Monday afternoon.
The crash occurred at approximately 4:43 p.m. on May 11, 2026, at the intersection of US-23 and County Road 38 (Hagerty Road) in Walnut Township. The scene was investigated by Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Seth Moody.
Failure to Yield Triggers Chain-Reaction Crash
According to the crash report, 63-year-old Joie Ann Casto of Bainbridge was operating a black 2012 Dodge Ram pickup truck westbound on Hagerty Road. As Casto attempted to turn southbound onto US-23, she failed to yield the right-of-way.
At the same time, a white 2018 GMC Acadia SUV, driven by 27-year-old Asahel Azariah Isreal of Columbus, was traveling northbound in the right lane of US-23 at approximately 67 mph.
To avoid a direct T-bone collision, Isreal swerved the GMC into the left lane but struck the Dodge Ram at an angle. The high-speed impact caused the Dodge pickup to spin out and come to rest in the highway’s median facing south.
The momentum of the crash sent Isreal’s GMC Acadia careening through the median, completely across all southbound lanes of US-23, before it crashed violently into a ditch on the opposite side of the highway.
Emergency Response and Air Evacuation
First responders and Harrison Township emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene. Due to the severity of the impact, both vehicles sustained disabling damage and had to be towed by Scioto Valley Towing.
The crash resulted in three injuries:
- Samantha Jayne Harrison (40, Chillicothe): A front-seat passenger in the GMC Acadia, Harrison sustained suspected serious injuries. Due to the severity of her condition, a MedFlight helicopter was dispatched directly to the scene. She was airlifted to the Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
- Asahel Azariah Isreal (27, Columbus): The driver of the GMC Acadia suffered suspected minor injuries and was transported via Harrison Township Medic 802 to Grant Medical Center in Columbus.
- Joie Ann Casto (63, Bainbridge): The driver of the Dodge Ram pickup truck sustained suspected serious injuries and was transported by ground EMS to Berger Hospital in Circleville.
State Highway Patrol investigators noted that all three individuals were wearing their lap and shoulder seatbelts at the time of the crash. Neither driver was suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and no active driver distractions were reported.
Significant Traffic Delays
The intersection of US-23 and Hagerty Road was heavily restricted as emergency crews treated the victims and cleared the scattered wreckage. In total, the roadway was completely closed for 137 minutes (2 hours and 17 minutes). The scene was officially cleared at 7:09 p.m.
Trooper Moody cited Casto for failure to yield from a stop sign (Ohio Revised Code 4511.43A).
