What Caused Woman To Cross Median?

HILLIARD, Ohio -- A part of the highway was shut down for several hours this morning after a fatal accident near mile marker 88.

A two-vehicle accident closed Interstate 70 East at State Route 142, which is about one mile west of Rome-Hilliard Road, for hours this morning.

NBC 4's Marshall McPeek said it may not have been the weather that caused the deadly crash.

“Her car just took one heck of an impact,” said Sgt. Carl Hickey with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office

Jonquil J. Dial, 55, of Newark was driving a red 1998 Pontiac Sunfire on her way to work, McPeek said. She was supposed to be there at 6 a.m. The accident happened at 6:20 a.m. about one mile past her usual exit.

“Our early investigation shows that she may not have even realized she was crossing the median until halfway through the median,” Hickey said.

Investigators said the woman may have had a medical condition or may have fallen asleep.

She crossed the median and was struck by a full-size white minivan driven by 41-year-old Scott Tanner, McPeek reported. Both vehicles were crushed.

Tanner was transported to Grant Medical Center and is in fair condition.

Deputies shut down the highway while completing an investigation. Traffic was backed up for miles.

Investigators currently are trying to nail down a cause for the accident. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call the Franklin County Traffic Bureau at 614-462-6113.

Stay tuned to NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for the latest information on this accident.