97-year-old man dies after turnpike crash in Wood County

10/19/2013
BLADE STAFF

STONY RIDGE - A 97-year-old man died shortly after a car crashed with a tractor-trailer on the Ohio Turnpike in northeastern Wood County on Saturday morning, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Sanbamurti Shankara was taken to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center where he died, according to the patrol. 

About 10:24 a.m., Vijay Sharma, 49, of Solon, Ohio, was attempting to get off the turnpike at Exit 71 when he lost control of the car on the ramp and it went off the left side of the road onto the acceleration ramp, according to the patrol. A truck driven by Wayne Sheatler, 33, of Claysville, Pa., which was entering the turnpike was struck by the car, the patrol said. Exit 71 connects the turnpike with State Rt. 420 and I-280.

Mr. Sharma had three passengers in the car, including the deceased who was a back-seat passenger, according to the patrol. One of those passengers was Priya Vijayshankar, 41, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio. The third passenger's name was not immediately available.

Besides the deceased, two other people from the car were thought to be taken to a hospital as well, according to the patrol. Information on their names, which hospital, and their condition was not immediately available. Nor was the hometown of the man who died immediately available.