Accident leaves 1 dead, shuts I-270 southbound

A Far West Side woman died and two other women were injured in a fourvehicle crash that closed a section of Interstate 270 southbound for more than three hours Thursday.

The Franklin County sheriff’s office was initially called at 2:26 p.m. about the crash on I-270 between Interstate 70 and the West Broad Street (Route 40) exit in Prairie Township.

Jonica L. Zwilling, 46, of Columbus, was taken to OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Zwilling was driving a 2012 Ford Taurus that was stopped in southbound traffic on I-270 when it was rear-ended by a 2006 Chevrolet Avalanche SUV, Sheriff Dallas Baldwin said in a news release. The SUV, for an unknown reason, had veered right and crossed two lanes of traffic before crashing into the Taurus and then hitting a 2004 Jeep Cherokee. The impact pushed the Cherokee into a fourth vehicle, a 2003 Ford E250 van.

The woman driving the Chevrolet SUV, whose name was not released, was taken in stable condition to Mount Carmel West hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

The woman driving the Jeep Cherokee, whose name also was not released, was taken in stable condition to Doctors Hospital.

The van driver suffered minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital.

All the drivers were wearing seat belts.

All southbound lanes of I-270 were reopened about 6:10 p.m.

The crash remains under investigation.