A major crash involving multiple semi trucks brought traffic to a complete standstill on Interstate 70 Westbound in Clark County, Ohio, sending two drivers to the hospital with serious injuries and requiring an extensive cleanup effort that lasted through the night.
The incident occurred on Thursday, September 4, 2025, just after 5 p.m., near State Route 4. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that the crash involved two tractor-trailers, with one of the massive vehicles jackknifing across the westbound lanes of the vital interstate.
According to the preliminary investigation, a 2015 Volvo tractor-trailer was traveling west when it veered off the right side of the road. It then slammed into a 2025 Freightliner tractor-trailer that was legally parked on the right shoulder of the highway.
The impact was catastrophic. Drivers calling 911 in the aftermath described a terrifying scene, with one caller reporting that the collision “literally sounded like a bomb went off.” The Volvo semi was reportedly hauling motor oil, and the crash ruptured its tanks, spilling approximately 100 gallons of oil onto the roadway. This dangerous spill necessitated a massive response.
Emergency medical services were immediately called to the scene. Due to the severity of the injuries, a CareFlight helicopter was summoned and landed directly on the closed interstate. The driver of the striking semi, 45-year-old Harminder Singh of Washington, was flown to Miami Valley Hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the parked Freightliner, Saida Usmonova of California, was also transported by medics to the same hospital for serious injuries. At one point, one of the injured parties was reported to be in critical condition.
The extensive damage and the hazardous material spill forced officials to shut down the westbound lanes of I-70 for over eight hours. This closure threw a wrench into Thursday evening and overnight traffic for hundreds of motorists who rely on the major thoroughfare. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) had to bring in large quantities of sand to soak up the motor oil from the asphalt.
In addition to the state troopers, Hazmat crews and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were on site to manage the environmental risk. An Ohio EPA spokesperson confirmed that the spill remained contained to the highway and did not impact any nearby bodies of water.
The sheer scale of the cleanup demonstrated the complexities of large truck accidents on a busy highway. Crews worked through the early hours of the morning to clear the wreckage and ensure the road was safe for travel. The left shoulder was eventually reopened to traffic around 8:30 p.m., and all westbound lanes were fully reopened to traffic shortly before 1:30 a.m. Friday, allowing the interstate to finally return to normal operations. The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
