2 children, man killed in Jefferson Twp. wreck identified

Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in head-on crash that also injured 6 people.

The JEFFERSON TWP. — Montgomery County Coroner’s Office identified two children and a man who died following a crash in Jefferson Twp. on New Year’s night.

Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger identified them as 13-year-old Ta’Wayne Palmer, 9-year-old Octavius Palmer and 49-yearold Ta’Wayne Palmer, all of Dayton.

The coroner’s office said the cause and manner of death have not been determined.

The head-on crash was reported at 7:02 p.m. New Year’s Day in the 5900 block of state Route 4 (Germantown Pike) near Soldiers Home Road, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff ’s Office.

Maj. Jeremy Roy identified the at-fault driver as a 43-year-old man driving a 2014 Chevrolet Traverse southbound on state Route 4. He crossed the double yellow line and collided with a 2000 Chevy Suburban traveling in the opposite direction with one adult and seven children between ages 7 and 14 inside, Roy said.

The driver of the Suburban and one of the children were pronounced dead at the scene. Another child was pronounced deceased at a local hospital, he said.

Two children were in critical condition at Dayton Children’s Hospital as of Monday, where three children injured in the crash have been treated and released.

The eight riding in the Suburban were all related, either immediate or extended family, Roy said.

The driver of the Traverse was trapped in the vehicle and had to be freed by emergency crews. He was the vehicle’s only occupant and was in serious but not life-threatening condition at a local hospital, Roy said Monday.

“We have probable cause at the scene to believe alcohol was a contributing factor, enough so that we executed a search warrant for a blood draw on the driver and will be awaiting lab results,” Roy said.

The crash remains under investigation.