MORROW COUNTY — A 38-year-old Columbus man died Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle while standing in the northbound lanes of Interstate 71 in Morrow County, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.
Brandon Miller was standing in the middle of the interstate near mile marker 147 in Harmony Township around 10:23 p.m. when a 2025 Chevrolet Traverse traveling northbound struck him, according to a Patrol media release. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene by Morrow County emergency medical personnel.
The driver, 42-year-old Brandon Diguilio of Lorain County in northern Ohio, remained at the scene after the crash and was not injured, the Patrol said. Troopers did not immediately say why Miller was standing in the roadway, and few details were available Friday about the moments leading up to the collision.
The fatal crash closed part of the interstate late Thursday as troopers documented the scene. Northbound traffic was diverted around the Harmony Township stretch of the highway while investigators worked for several hours.
The Highway Patrol said the crash remains under investigation and no charges had been announced as of Saturday morning. Investigators are expected to review evidence from the scene as they work to determine what happened.
The death is the latest fatal crash investigated by troopers along the I-71 corridor in central Ohio, one of the most heavily traveled routes in the state, connecting Columbus with northern Ohio communities.
