A routine trip down State Route 146 turned fatal Friday when a utility vehicle attempted a right-hand driveway turn from the wrong lane. The two-vehicle wreck happened in rural Noble County and took the life of a ninety-year-old driver.
The driver was Bonnie Groves, a Pleasant City resident operating a dark green John Deere UTV eastbound on the highway. According to findings from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Groves was traveling on the westbound side of the yellow line as she approached a private entrance.
At the exact same time, a red sedan was driving eastbound in the correct lane. When Groves turned her UTV to the right to clear the roadway and enter the driveway, she pulled directly across the path of the oncoming sedan.
The red sedan struck the right side of the John Deere UTV with full force. The broadside impact crushed the side of the light utility frame and left Groves critically hurt.
First responders arrived at the crash site within minutes and began administering emergency care to the elderly driver. Medics quickly prepped Groves for transport and rushed her to Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center.
Emergency room doctors at the facility performed life-saving procedures, but the impact proved too severe. Authorities confirmed she passed away at the hospital later Friday evening.
Highway patrol officers spent the rest of the day analyzing the collision dynamics on Route 146. Troopers are continuing their investigation into line of sight, travel speeds, and lane positioning to figure out why the UTV was moving eastbound in the westbound lane before turning.
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