Mayhem and Murder on I-75

The interstate highway system is analogous to the American river system of the 19th century, where the flow of goods and people facilitated the growth of a great nation. My current department Chair, Juan Santamarina, commutes between Dayton and Cincinnati 4 days or more each week, and the stories he tells me easily raise eyebrows. Such was the case yesterday when a man fled Kentucky after killing his ex-girlfriend's 17 year old son who tried to stop him from abducting the young man's mom. As it turned out, the killer was stopped near the exit to Ohio 63, but only after he had killed the woman, her bloodied and naked body found in the vehicle by police. After turning the gun on himself and missing (sort of, he did not commit suicide and is now in custody), the ordeal ended after hours during which the Interstate North was closed and South being very slow.

Juan has experienced other interesting events on I-75 -- burning trucks, ladders hitting his Mercedes. That poor Mercedes has and multiple visits to the body shop as the result of scrapes on the road! He is not alone. My own driving experiences on I-75 included a near collision with a refrigerator box that was in the middle lane after it fell off a pick up truck.
What follows are some photos from Juan taken from his cell phone of the burning truck and yesterdays police confrontation with a murderer.

 left UD at 1pm or so today, trying to get home early to finalize some things for Andrew's 13th bday today.  At maybe 1:30, when I was near exit 32 on I-75 I saw dozens of speeding police cars of all sorts, some driving the wrong way on the on-ramps, northbound  traffic getting stopped by 6 cop cars, complete chaos and clearly no accidents.  It was happening just as I was passing so I kept going to get out before there was any chance of getting stuck.  Below is what I found on DDN when I got home.

Always an adventure.

Juan

UPDATE @: 3:08 p.m. p.m.: The I-75 shooting incident may be connected to an abduction and slaying in western Kentucky.

The Graves County, Ky., Sheriff Dewayne Redmon said a 17-year-old boy was found shot to death this morning at his home in Mayfield, Ky. The boy's mother, apparently was taken against her will by an ex-boyfriend, which prompted a multi-state search, the Associated Press reported.

UPDATE @: 258 p.m.: The Warren County coroner is on the way to the Interstate 75 shooting scene in the northbound lanes between. Ohio 63 and Ohio 122.

In the northbound lanes, troopers have cordoned off a white SUV, and southbound traffic is moving. The SUV appears to have a vanity Illinois license plate, TRICKE1.

All four doors to the SUV are open, and items are in the roadway, which appears to be shoes, clothing. There are at least 10 cruisers in the area.

UPDATE @: 239 p.m.: The Ohio Highway Patrol will be holding a news conference at the Cincinnati Premium Outlets off Ohio 63 in Monroe.

A murder suspect is in custody this afternoon after a reported shooting that forced all lanes of Interstate 75 to be shut down.

Southbound I-75 is now reopened between Ohio 63 and Ohio 122, but the northbound lanes remain shut down. Motorists who were stuck in the northbound lanes are now being turned around, using the north lanes and exiting at Ohio 63.

The suspect shot himself, and has been transported to an area hospital, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Troopers had been following the suspect, who was from out of state, according to the patrol.

Initial dispatch reports indicate a possible murder suspect may have shot himself near mile marker 31.

A motorist stuck in traffic said she saw police with guns drawn and ambulances at the scene.