'He was just doing his everyday job': Driver in fiery Route 8 fatal crash identified

Jason Thomas Stevens loved his job and had expected to be home before noon on Saturday when he reportedly lost control of his tanker truck and crashed onto state Route 8 in Macedonia and died.

Stevens, a 31-year-old from Ashtabula, died of multiple blunt force injuries in the crash that resulted in a fire that has put the Interstate 271 and Route 8 interchange out of commission for several days.

The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office established the cause of his death after an autopsy and ruled it was accidental.

Driver was familiar with route, says relative

Stevens was driving for Jackson Township-based Kenan Advantage Group Inc., where he had worked since October 2020, said his wife's aunt, Cindy Henderson of Conneaut. She said Stevens had expected Saturday to be a short work day.

"It was his normal route," she said. "He wasn't out of any ordinary area that he would normally travel. He was just doing his everyday job."

"He did the run and he would be back home, you know, with a quick day. It wasn't a long day. He told his wife he was going to be home by 11 a.m. He should be at home by 11 and, you know, 11 came and went."

Kenan Advantage Group issued a statement Tuesday expressing condolences to Stevens' friends, coworkers and family.

"Our primary concern has always been for the safety and security of our employees, the public, our customers, and the environment. This is an exceedingly difficult time for our organization as this tragedy impacts all of us in the KAG family," the company said. "We have been working closely with local officials and corresponding agencies and will continue to do so in the days ahead. We would like to thank all the first responders for their immediate response to this incident."

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Henderson said Stevens started working as a truck driver for Kenan in October 2020, having formerly worked two years as a semi truck driver at another company. He was married in 2018 and had a daughter.

Henderson said her niece and Stevens' wife, Katie Stevens, was too distraught to speak but wanted everyone to know how much Jason loved her and their daughter, that he was very family oriented and that he loved people. The couple's daughter, Amelia, will be 2 in April.

"He was a happy guy," Henderson said. "He loved working. ... Jason was so confident. He would get behind his truck, and he was confident. He liked his job. He felt good behind the wheel."

More: More work, inspections needed after fiery Route 8 tanker crash in Macedonia

Interchange remains closed, under evaluation

The Route 8 and I-271 interchange closed Saturday morning a little after 9 a.m., when the truck Stevens was driving crashed on the northbound lanes of Route 8 and burst into flames. The truck was believed to have been carrying around 7,500 gallons of petroleum fuel.

According to the Summit County Sheriff's Office, the truck had been traveling northbound on Route 8 when it attempted to get on I-271 north, then lost control and went over the side of the bridge. The truck landed onto the northbound lanes of Route 8 and subsequently burst into flames.

The crash resulted in some damage to the roadways, which is still being evaluated by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The ramp from Route 8 north to I-271 north remained closed Tuesday, as was Route 8 southbound at Highland Road.

Multiple fire departments, the Summit County Hazmat team and other agencies responded to the crash, including the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the Macedonia and Twinsburg Fire Departments, the Summit County Sheriff's Office and the Macedonia Police Department. The crash is being investigated by the Summit Metro Crash Team.

The city of Hudson said six members of the Hudson Fire Department Hazmat team assisted the Ohio EPA for over four hours, installing booms in the streams and at multiple locations to retain spilt fuel.

Some repairs needed to Route 8/I-271 interchange

The Ohio Department of Transportation announced Sunday more work and inspections need to be done before they can fully open the state Route 8 and I-271 interchange.

One lane of the ramp from I-271 south to southbound Route 8 reopened Tuesday afternoon. The Ohio Department of Transportation said the ramp was deemed safe to reopen after inspections found no structural damage. However, cleanup crews continue using the ramp as a staging area, so only one lane of the ramp will be clear for traffic. There is no timetable on when the second lane will open.

ODOT said it will likely take several days before the ramps to access Route 8 and I-271 can fully reopen.

More: Some roads, ramps still closed after Saturday's fiery tanker accident on Route 8

“Safety will always be our top priority. We know that keeping these closures in place is a major inconvenience to thousands of motorists, but we will never trade convenience for safety,” said ODOT District 4 Deputy Director Gery Noirot in a statement. “Our team will be working hand in hand with contractors to make emergency repairs and reopen the closed roadways and bridges as soon as we deem it safe to do so.”

The initial inspections have determined that repairs will be needed to the roadway on the southern end of the Route 8 bridge over the Brandywine Creek.

ODOT said crews will have to remove the top layer of the bridge and resurface it.

The preliminary initial inspection of the ramp from I-271 southbound to Route 8 did not find any issues but given the nature of the crash and the ensuing fire, ODOT said, additional more detailed inspections are needed.

Crews are also using the ramp as part of the clean up effort to remove contaminated soil.

“We hope to have all inspections completed and a full plan of action in place by early this week,” Noirot said. “One of the challenges will be the weather.”

The city of Hudson said on its X account Monday that the detour was creating traffic congestion on state Route 91.

"Motorists should plan on additional time if using SR 91," the city warned.

Drivers trying to access I-271 northbound from Route 8 northbound should take state Route 82.

“Motorists should plan ahead and give themselves plenty of extra time during their commute in the upcoming week,” Noirot added. “Please continue to check OHGO daily to find the easiest way around these closures.”

April Helms, Anthony Thompson and Craig Webb contributed to this report. Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Driver Jason Thomas Stevens killed in fuel truck crash on Rt. 8