BETHEL TOWNSHIP — One man is dead following a single-vehicle crash on Haskett Lane in southern Miami County early Friday morning.
Sgt. Todd Tennant of the Miami County Sheriff’s Office said the driver of an SUV lost control of the vehicle, went off the left side of the roadway and struck a tree. The driver, who was identified as Shannon Kelly Davis, 44, was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash happened around 12:30 a.m.
Tennant said that alcohol and speed were both determining factors in the crash. “The driver clearly had been drinking,” said Tennant. “You could smell it on him. It’s all over the inside of the car. There’s still cold beer inside the car … open containers.”
Haskett Lane is a small side road in an area where excess speed is dangerous. “You’ve got an unlit roadway. This is a small, country neighborhood. The road is narrow.” said Tennant. “When you mix alcohol, speed, and unlit roadways, you’re asking for trouble.” Davis’ vehicle went off the roadway at a 90 degree curve, slide sideways, and impacted a tree on the driver’s side. He was not wearing a seat belt.
Davis was apparently on his way home from work in Columbus when the crash occurred less than one-quarter mile from his home.
Crash reconstructionists from the sheriff’s office are investigating the crash. No one else was injured.
Bethel Township fire and rescue, who had responded to the scene, were released around 2:15 a.m. and deputies cleared the scene around 3:30 a.m.
