Butler County man struck, killed by semi-truck during I-71 OVI stop

A Hamilton man was struck and killed Saturday by a semi-truck after he fled law enforcement during an OVI stop on Interstate 71.

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers stopped Jonathon Richards, 31, at around 3:20 a.m. near mile marker 63 in Fayette County for speeding and marked lane violations.

Troopers said Richards was reportedly an impaired driver and arrested for OVI, and had an outstanding warrant from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

Richards pulled away from troopers while they were taking him into custody. He ran into southbound interstate traffic where he was struck and killed by a 2020 Freightliner.

The crash remains under investigation.

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