Willard Colvin was out on his usual walk along Rozelle Creek Road on Monday afternoon when a southwest-bound car struck him. Emergency crews rushed to the 100 block of the rural road around 5:10 p.m., but the 67-year-old Chillicothe resident died at the scene.
For residents around Huntington Hills and Huntington Township, Colvin was a familiar sight along the blacktop. People knew him simply as Willie. He walked the neighborhood stretches regularly, quietly making his rounds on foot along State Route 772 and the surrounding side roads.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Colvin was walking in the roadway about a tenth of a mile east of State Route 772 when the collision happened. The vehicle involved was a 2021 Kia K5 driven by 23-year-old Emma Silcott of McArthur.
First responders called in extra help as soon as they arrived. Huntington Township Fire and EMS called for mutual aid from the Veterans Affairs Fire Department and Scioto Township Fire Department. A medical helicopter was initially put on stand-by due to the crash severity.
Despite the quick arrival of emergency crews and their efforts to treat him in the road, Colvin could not be saved. The Ross County Coroner’s Office pronounced him dead on site, and Ware’s Funeral Home later transported his body from the scene.
Silcott, the driver of the Kia, did not report any injuries in the collision. State troopers stayed on scene for more than two hours to clear the wreck and gather evidence, keeping Rozelle Creek Road closed between local intersections.
The crash marks the second major traffic incident on Rozelle Creek Road this month alone. State troopers from the Chillicothe Post are still looking into what caused the crash, including vehicle speed and visibility along that stretch of road.








