Early Morning Crash Claims Life of Ohio Man

This crash remains under investigation

October 31, 2023, a single vehicle crash on I-74, just west of Batesville, Indiana, resulted in the death of the driver of the commercial motor vehicle.

At approximately 4:00 am yesterday, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and Batesville Police Department responded to the crash near the 147-mile marker in rural Franklin County, Indiana.  Initial first responders located a tractor trailer that had collided with a bridge support.  The driver of the semi was entrapped in the vehicle and was deceased.  Indiana State Police Crash Reconstructionists were called to the scene to investigate the crash.

The initial investigation indicated a 2017 Peterbilt tractor pulling a trailer, being driven by Osei K. Boateng, age 55, Grove City, Ohio was traveling westbound on I-74.  For an unknown reason, Boateng’s vehicle left the left side of the road, entering the median.  The vehicle then collided with the yellow barricades protecting the Huntersville Road overpass.  Boateng’s vehicle then smashed through the yellow barrels and collided with the concrete bridge support. 

Boateng was entrapped inside of the vehicle and soon pronounced deceased by the Franklin County Coroner’s Office. 

The trailer’s load spilled into the median and onto the westbound lanes of I-74.  The westbound lanes were closed for nearly seven hours for crash investigation and cleanup. 

The investigation is ongoing.

Osei Boateng’s family has been notified.

The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, Batesville Police Department, Batesville Fire Department, and Franklin County Coroner’s Office.