Woman killed in fiery vehicle crash on Interstate 270 identified

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has identified the woman who was killed Thursday afternoon in a fiery vehicle crash on Interstate 270 in southwestern Franklin County.

Karen Ann Gearhart, 79, of Lancaster in Fairfield County, was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:36 by Jackson Township medics, according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol crash report.

The crash occurred at 3:26 p.m. on I-270 westbound, between Routes 23 and 104, in Jackson Township, the sheriff's office said. A 2022 Freightliner tractor-trailer slowed down for traffic and a 2000 GMC van carrying Gearhart, another adult and a juvenile traveling directly behind the truck crashed into the rear of the trailer, the sheriff's office said.

The van caught fire, and several motorists had to pull an adult and the juvenile out of the vehicle.

The other adult pulled from the van was transported in stable condition to OhioHealth Grant Hospital, and the juvenile was transported in stable condition to Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The driver of the tractor trailer was not hurt in the crash.

Images captured from Ohio Department of Transportation cameras showed the front half of the van sustained severe fire damage. Officials closed I-270 for a little more than four hours and reopened it at 7:45 p.m.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the crash. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Crash Investigation Unit at 614-525-6113.

smeighan@dispatch.com

@ShahidMeighan

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Woman killed in fiery vehicle crash on Interstate 270 identified