LISBON — A pedestrian-snow plow crash on state Route 7 remains under investigation by the Lisbon post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol a week after occurring. 

An Ohio Department of Transportation plow driver struck Ronnie White, of Scotts Mill Road in Rogers, as he walked northbound at 6:19 a.m. Feb. 3 on the roadway along state Route 7 in Elkrun Township.

The trooper noted in the accompanying report narrative that he found the roadway to be a wet paved asphalt with snowbanks on the east and west sides of the roadway with approximately 4 feet east of the painted fog line. There are no overhead street lights where the crash occurred and no evidence of heavy braking, debris patterns or marks on the roadway near the crash scene. 

The ODOT plow was parked in the northbound lane with its amber lights illuminated.

Additional patrol and ODOT vehicles were on scene to shut down both lanes of state Route 7. 

White was found lying partially in the roadway approximately 10 feet in front of the plow truck. He was dressed in a dark blue snow suit with no visible reflective material noted. White was alert to answer questions posed by investigators.

Two squads from North Star EMS arrived on scene to treat his injuries. 

After calling his father, he was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown for treatment of injuries. 

The plow driver, identified as Benjamin Brown, told investigators that he initially hadn’t seen White in the roadway until southbound traffic passed by. After spotting him, he attempted to swerve, but the upright “Wing Plow” must have clipped White. Once observing him lying on the roadside, Brown said he immediately stopped. He had not been actively plowing snow at the time of the incident, so the “Wing Plow” was in the upright position, Brown added. 

The snow plow driver denied any injuries; however, the pedestrian sustained visible injuries to his right leg as well as left upper arm.

Evidence supports White’s version of the facts that he was walking on the right side of the fog line and not the roadway when the plow struck him. This was a trip that White had walked daily from East Liverpool to his home.