I-71 reopened at I-270 interchange near Grove City after fatal crash Tuesday afternoon

The Ohio Department of Transportation has reopened Interstate 71 just beyond the Interstate 270 interchange near Grove City following a fatal crash Tuesday afternoon that closed the highway for nearly four hours.

The crash was reported around 1:40 p.m. Tuesday on I-71. The interstate was officially reopened at 5:28 p.m. according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office said a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer that was merging from the I-270 west ramp onto I-71 southbound failed to yield to a 2019 Volvo tractor-trailer that was headed south on I-71. The sheriff's office said witnesses told investigators the Chevy drove into the tractor-trailer's lane, which caused the crash.

The driver of the Chevy was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. The identities of those involved have not yet been released.

The highway had been shut down at the I-270 interchange and the ramp from I-270 west to I-71 was also closed.

A dispatcher for the sheriff's office said said no additional information on the crash was available as of Tuesday evening.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

Dispatch Reporter Mike Wagner contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: I-71 was closed at I-270 interchange near Grove City after fatal crash