Pa. trucker, 2 kids die in pike crash

8/11/2008

CASTALIA, Ohio - A Pennsylvania man driving a tractor-trailer and his two children, traveling as passengers, died in a crash Saturday night on the Ohio Turnpike in Erie County near Castalia, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

The driver of the truck, Dwayne Snyder, 33, of Rebersburg, Pa., drifted off the right side of the road, struck a sign, continued eastbound on a grassy area adjacent to the turnpike, and hit a bridge over the Ohio Turnpike. The vehicle came to rest underneath the bridge.

The two children, Chadwin Snyder, 10, and Derrick Snyder, 3, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash occurred about

9:54 p.m. in Groton Township near turnpike milepost 106.

Mr. Snyder was driving a semi pulling a box trailer loaded with apples, which were scattered at the accident scene. The overpass carrying Southwest Road over the turnpike remained closed yesterday because of extensive damage from the crash, which remained under investigation yesterday.

Castalia is about 40 miles southeast of Toledo.