19-Year-Old West Salem Man Killed in Ruff Road Crash
CONGRESS TOWNSHIP — A 19-year-old West Salem man was killed Thursday morning when the side-by-side utility vehicle he was driving collided with a pickup truck in Wayne County.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at approximately 8 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, on Ruff Road, about half a mile east of State Route 539.
A preliminary investigation indicates that a tan 2004 Chevrolet 2500 pickup truck was traveling east on Ruff Road when an orange Kubota RTV-X900 reportedly failed to yield while turning left from a private driveway onto the roadway.
The Kubota’s driver, Dylan Midkiff, 19, of West Salem, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said he was not wearing a seat belt.
A passenger in the Kubota, Samuel H. Regner, 29, of Ashland, suffered serious injuries. He also was not wearing a seat belt, according to the Highway Patrol.
Bradley Evans, 41, of Ashland, was driving the Chevrolet pickup. He was wearing a seat belt and was not injured.
Troopers from the Highway Patrol’s Wooster Post responded to the scene. West Salem Fire and EMS, Town & Country Fire and EMS, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Wayne County Coroner’s Office also assisted.
The crash remains under investigation. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been factors, according to the Highway Patrol.
