The head-on crash was reported at 7:02 p.m. New Year’s Day in the 5900 block of state Route 4 (Germantown Pike), according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Maj. Jeremy Roy identified the at-fault driver as a 43-year-old man driving a 2014 Chevrolet Traverse who was headed south on state Route 4. He crossed the double yellow line and collided with a 2000 Chevy Suburban traveling in the opposite direction with one adult and seven children between 7 and 14 inside, Roy said.
Ta’Wayne Palmer, 49, the driver of the Suburban, and one of the boys were pronounced dead at the scene. Another boy was pronounced deceased at a local hospital, he said.
Two children remain in critical condition at Dayton Children’s Hospital, where three children injured in the crash have been treated and released.
The eight riding in the Suburban were all related, either immediate or extended family, Roy said.
The driver of the Traverse was trapped in the vehicle and had to be freed by emergency crews. He was the vehicle’s only occupant and is in serious but not life-threatening condition at a local hospital, Roy said.
“We have probable cause at the scene to believe alcohol was a contributing factor, enough so that we executed a search warrant for a blood draw on the driver and will be awaiting lab results,” Roy said.
The crash remains under investigation.
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