CIRCLEVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A Chillicothe man was hospitalized with suspected serious injuries late Tuesday evening following a head-on collision with a concrete retaining wall while driving the wrong way on US-23.
The single-vehicle crash occurred on June 23, 2026, at approximately 10:27 p.m. near the cloverleaf interchange at milepost 9 in Circleville.
According to a traffic crash report filed by Deputy Joseph Cathel of the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office, Christopher Wade Aills, 31, of Chillicothe, was operating a maroon 2023 Nissan Kicks. Investigators note that Aills was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of US-23 when his vehicle veered off the right side of the roadway.
The Nissan traveled between two concrete medians and struck an intersecting concrete wall head-on at an estimated speed of 65 mph. The posted speed limit in the area is 55 mph.
The impact caused disabling, severe damage to the vehicle. Deputy Cathel noted in the report that Aills was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. Upon impact, the driver’s head struck the front windshield.
Aills suffered suspected serious injuries and was treated at the scene before being transported by Pickaway Township EMS to OhioHealth Berger Hospital in Circleville for emergency medical evaluation.
Law enforcement officials suspect alcohol was a primary factor in the crash. Aills was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI) under Ohio Revised Code section 4511.19A1A. The report lists his physical condition at the time as “under the influence of medications/drugs/alcohol” and notes that he refused an alcohol test at the scene. He was also issued a citation for a wrong-way traffic violation. The report additionally indicates that Aills did not provide proof of vehicle insurance.
Weather conditions were clear and the blacktop surface was dry when the crash occurred on the unlighted section of the highway. Responding emergency units closed a portion of the roadway for 52 minutes to manage the scene, which was fully cleared by Last Notice Towing at 11:40 p.m.
