GRAFTON TWP. — Two people were killed in a fiery crash a little after midnight Thursday on state Route 57 in Grafton Township, and the road was closed the rest of the night as crews responded.

A pickup was traveling northbound on Route 57 near Highland Drive, just south of Grafton, when it went left of center, according to the Elyria post of the Ohio Highway Patrol. The truck was struck by a southbound semi, and both burst into flames.

The driver of the pickup, Donald E. Berg, 49, of Columbia Station, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the patrol. A passenger in his truck also died, but the passenger’s identity had not yet been confirmed late Thursday.

Photos of the two vehicles today at Dunlap’s Towing:

Scroll down for more photos.

The driver of the semi, William T. Bennett, 35, of Louisville, Ohio, a driver for Frito-Lay, was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Both vehicles were heavily damaged and were towed from the scene.
The driver of the semi was wearing a seat belt, but it is unknown if the two people in the pickup were.
It is unknown if alcohol was a factor, and the crash remains under investigation.
The Ohio Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Grafton Fire Department and EMS, Grafton Police Department, Lorain County coroner’s office, Ohio Department of Transportation and Dunlap’s Towing.
Thursday’s double-fatal crash in Grafton Township raised this year’s fatality total to 27 in 24 fatal accidents, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. That’s down from 30 deaths in 29 crashes last year.

Contact Melissa Hebert at 329-7129 or mhebert@chroniclet.com.

Contact Rona Proudfoot at 329-7124 or rproudfoot@chroniclet.com.

Photos by CT Web editor Rona Proudfoot.

NEWARK — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is prepared for a typically busy New Year’s Eve of drunken driving cases.

Patrol statistics show the holiday brings three times more arrests for operating a vehicle while impaired than on an average day.

About 200 motorists were cited by troopers on each of the last three New Year’s Eves.

Patrol Sgt. Raymond Durant says it’s up to individual patrol posts to decide whether to have additional troopers on the roads Thursday night.

Troopers in Lorain County will be out in full force, according to Sgt. Charles Gullet of the Elyria post.

“We’ll be out in full force, aggressively looking OVI arrests, aggressive driving and any other violations violations,” he said.

The highway patrol says troopers have generally been making fewer drunken driving arrests this year. As of Dec. 23, citations statewide were down about 4.5 percent from 2008 levels.