CHAMPAIGN COUNTY — UPDATE @ 2 p.m. (Dec. 20):
Deputies have identified the victim killed after crashing a vehicle into a Champaign County house earlier this month.
Douglas Strahler, 69, of Springfield was identified Monday as the driver killed in the Dec. 8 crash in the 9900 block of state Route 235, deputies said in a media release Monday.
Strahler was the driver of a vehicle that went off the side of the roadway, crashed into a house, then caught fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fire crews reported the house was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived but all occupants of the house were able to safely evacuate.
Deputies said the reason for Strahler leaving the roadway were not known and the crash was still under investigation.
Additional details were not released.
FIRST REPORT (Dec. 8):
One person is dead after crashing their 2017 Toyota into a home on the 9900 block of state Route 235, according to the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.
When emergency crews arrived, the vehicle and the residence were heavily engulfed in flames, the sheriff’s office said. The residents were able to evacuate the house safely.
A preliminary investigation showed that the vehicle had been heading northbound on state Route 235 when it went off the left side of the road and hit the house.
>> 1 flown to hospital after three-vehicle crash in Darke County
Deputies said the residents made several attempts to rescue the driver, but were unable to do so. The driver was later declared dead on scene.
The American Red Cross responded to help the homeowners.
>> Ohio State Highway Patrol cites more than 200 people during multi-state trooper project
The crash is under investigation.
©2021 Cox Media Group
