AKRON, Ohio -- A 38-year-old Akron man is dead following a chain-reaction crash involving three vehicles on I-77 in Summit County near the Ridgewood / Miller Road exit.
Authorities say it happened around 6:14 a.m. Thursday when a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 rear-ended a 2007 Nissan Altima, which was stopped in the left lane due to a previous crash. The impact, the Nissan then rear-ended a 2018 Hyundai Elantra as a result of the impact.
Justin Pankow, the driver of the Nissan, died from his injuries at a nearby hospital. Authorities say he was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
The driver of the Dodge, a 19-year-old man from Brimfield, was taken to the hospital with injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening. He was wearing his seat belt.
The driver of the Hyundai, a 40-year-old North Canton man, was not hurt in the crash. He was also wearing his seat belt.
Investigators do not suspect alcohol played a role in the crash.
The situation remains under investigation.
