A University of Toledo freshman track and field athlete Eva Moran died May 29 following a three-vehicle crash in Marion County, according to the university and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Moran, 19, of Caledonia, was a member of the Rockets women’s track and field team and competed in the pole vault. In a statement released May 30, University of Toledo Vice President and Director of Athletics Tom Moreland said the university community was “heartbroken” by her death.
“Eva was an outstanding student-athlete whose determination, character and positive spirit made an impact on everyone who had the opportunity to know her,” Moreland said in the statement.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at about 5:28 p.m. May 29 on State Route 309 near milepost 21 in Claridon Township. The crash involved a black 2012 Hyundai Elantra driven by Moran; a white 2013 GMC Acadia driven by Nathaniel R. Blankenship, 19, of Marion; and a black 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Dalila Zamudio, 23, of Galion.
Troopers said Moran was traveling eastbound on State Route 309 when Blankenship was stopped ahead of her, also facing eastbound, while waiting to turn left into a private driveway. Zamudio was traveling westbound on State Route 309.
According to the preliminary investigation, Moran failed to maintain assured clear distance ahead and struck the left rear of the GMC Acadia. Her vehicle then traveled left of center into the westbound lane, where it was struck by the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Moran was ejected from her vehicle after the collision with the Jeep, according to the patrol.
Moran was taken from the scene by Marion Township EMS to Marion General Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Blankenship sustained possible injuries and was treated at the scene. Zamudio sustained minor injuries and was taken by a private party to Marion General Hospital.
Moran was pursuing a degree in health sciences.
Before attending Toledo, Moran competed at River Valley High School in Caledonia, where she participated in basketball, cross country and track and field. She qualified for the Ohio High School Athletic Association state track and field championships in the pole vault three times and placed fifth as a senior. She also set the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference record in the event with a clearance of 12 feet, one-half inch.
“There are no words to adequately express the sadness our team feels over the loss of Eva,” Toledo Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Andrea Grove-McDonough said in the statement. “She was a remarkable young woman whose energy, determination and kindness made an immediate impact on our program.”
The crash remains under investigation.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: University of Toledo freshman athlete killed in Marion County crash
Reporting by Amani Bayo, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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