Video shows trooper responding to wrong-way I-75 crash

3/7/2012

Editor's note: The following video is an edited clip of the dash cam from the state trooper's car. The contents of this video may be disturbing to some.

BOWLING GREEN — Video shot from the dashboard of a state trooper’s cruiser shows a wrong-way driver passing him on I-75 just moments before the car strikes another vehicle head-on, killing three Bowling Green State University students and injuring two others.

The Ohio Highway Patrol released the dramatic video Wednesday afternoon, showing the view from Trooper Phil Mohre’s car as troopers and passers-by tried last Friday morning to get the doors open on the students’ car and attempt to extinguish a fire that breaks out in the wrong-way driver’s vehicle. They appear frustrated as they deplete the fire extinguishers they have, and the fire intensifies.

Winifred “Dawn” Lein, 69, of Perrysburg Township died in the crash, which also killed Christina Goyett, 19, of Bay City, Mich., Sarah Hammond, 21, of Yellow Springs, Ohio and Rebekah Blakkolb, 20, of Aurora, Ohio. Two other passengers — Kayla Somoles, 19, of Parma, Ohio and Angelica Mormile, 19, of Garfield Heights, Ohio — remained in critical condition at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center.

Miss Goyett was northbound on I-75 about 2:15 a.m. driving herself and four of her sorority sisters to Detroit Metro Airport to catch a 5:30 a.m. flight to the Dominican Republic for spring break when her car collided with Lein’s vehicle, which was southbound in the northbound lanes. A second carload of Alpha Xi Delta members passed the wrong-way driver first then turned around and pulled over when they saw the crash.

At one point in the nearly 25-minute dash-cam video, an unidentified girl — believed to be a passenger in the second BGSU car bound for the airport — can be heard telling the trooper, “Those are our sisters. We’re on our way to spring break.”

The trooper urges her to stay away from the crash scene.

“I want you to go stay by the car. Stay with the car, please,” he said.

Fire crews later arrive to extinguish the car fire. The video ends before the students are extricated.