News Center 7's John Bedell spoke with investigators about the two common threads in all these crashes.
>> RELATED: I-70 West briefly closed after 3-vehicle crash near Ohio-Indiana border
Ohio State troopers said both crashes along I-70 in Preble County last week were chain reaction crashes due to
construction backups on the Indiana side of the state line.
The backups have led to two, four-car, chain-reaction crashes on the one-mile stretch of I-70 West between the rest stop and the Indiana line.
>> RELATED: Victims identified in triple-fatal accident on I-70 West in Preble County
State troopers say also a factor in the crashes is due to drivers not paying attention.
“Tragedy happens when you’re not fully paying attention. It’s unfortunate that didn’t happen here, that people were not paying attention because now three people are without loved ones,” Sgt. Jeff Kramer, Ohio State Highway Patrol, said about the fatal accident on I-70 West. “It really does boil down to just driver inattention.”
>> RELATED: Camden man, 25, killed in head-on motorcycle crash in Preble County
The Preble County Sheriff’s Office also said driver inattention led to the deadly crash involving a motorcycle on U.S. 127, south of Eaton.
The sheriff said the motorcyclist was killed in a head-on crash with an oncoming car after he was driving with one hand and turned his head away from the road in front of him before drifting across the center line.
>> RELATED: Gratis Twp. woman, 33, killed in collision with combine in Preble County
A woman, who deputies say was speeding, was also killed in a third deadly crash when she crashed into a combine near Camden.
Along with paying attention to other cars, the sheriff says drivers also need to watch out for farm equipment in the road with harvesting season in full-swing.
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