By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

ARCANUM – Ohio 49 was shut down for several hours on Wednesday afternoon after Darke County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a crash near the intersection of Arcanum Bear’s Mill Road that resulted in one fatality. Deputies were called to the scene at 3:15 p.m.

The crash reconstruction team spent much of the early evening trying to figure out how the semi truck crashed head-on into a minivan.

The preliminary investigation revealed a 1998 Chevrolet 1500, maroon in color, driven by Mark Snider, of Beavercreek,, was traveling northwest on Ohio Route 49. The Chevrolet traveled over the center line and into the opposite lane of travel. A 2019 Volvo tractor-trailer, red in color, being driven by Abakar Addji, 25, of Jersey City, NJ, was traveling southeast on State Route 49. Addji braked and swerved to the left, in an attempt to avoid the collision, at the same time the Chevrolet over-corrected and traveled into the tractor-trailer.

According to Sgt. Scott Mullen of the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of the minivan was pronounced deceased at the scene. A passenger extricated by mechanical means was taken to Miami Valley Hospital by CareFlight, where Syncere Snider, 11, of Fairboan, succomed to his injuries. Addji was taken to Wayne HealthCare where he was treated and released.

This accident remains under investigation.

In addition to the sheriff’s office, first responders from various other agencies, including Arcanum, Pitsburg and Greenville fire departments, rescue crews from Greenville, Tri-Village and Arcanum, ODOT, Darke County Hazmat Team, Ohio Highway Patrol Motor Carrier Enforcement and the investigator for the Darke County coroner.

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Daily Advocate editor Ryan Berry can be reached at [email protected]