Tractor-Trailer Slams Into Vehicles Stopped In Construction Zone

Several people are recovering and at least one person was seriously injured when a tractor-trailer crashed in a construction zone Thursday.

The crash happened just before noon in Harrison County near Cadiz on U.S. 22. The road in the area of the crash was closed in both directions for some time and reopened around 4:45 p.m.

The crash involved two tractor-trailers and two cars. Officials at the scene told NEWS9 that a construction worker had several cars stopped with a flag when a tractor-trailer struck the stopped cars.

Ronald Metzger, a construction zone worker, said, "Somebody could have got killed."

Another construction worker, the flagger, said she was so shaken after what she saw that she couldn't talk about it.

Metzger said, "I heard a noise, looked up and seen a trailer going straight up in the air. …The flag girl was standing in the middle of the road and next thing I see her going over the guardrail."

Sgt. Jeff Bernard of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the flagger ran off the side of the road and dove over the guardrail to get out of the way of flying debris.

"She's very lucky," Bernard said. "The flagger already had a couple vehicles already stopped. At that time, another tractor-trailer came up behind them and struck one of the tankers already stopped there for the construction."

Metzger said the construction workers saw the entire crash and they couldn't do anything to help the flagger.

Emergency crews said they aren't sure why the truck didn't stop. Officials said they will inspect all of the vehicles involved in the crash and will check the brakes on the tractor-trailer.

Stay with NEWS9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9 Mobile for continuing coverage as details become available.

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