Death toll rises to six in area traffic fatalities

The second driver in the Route 31 crash died this week, bringing traffic fatalities in some way associated with the area to six.

According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, officials received the notification Thursday from the Franklin County Coroner’s Office that Sofia B. Collazos Ingunza, 23, a citizen of Peru, died at the Ohio State University hospital. Although a cause of death was not listed, Ingunza was receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained on Sept. 6 when the 2023 Jeep Renegade she was driving went left of center striking a 2009 Honda Civic. The Honda driver, Chloe Price, 23, a 2020 graduate of North Union, was pronounced dead at the scene.

That same weekend, Olivia Kroft, 19, of Marysville, Breyden Floyd, 23, of North Lewisburg, Michael Pinkerton, 19, of West Virginia, and Roger Congrove, 70, of Richwood were killed in a crash in Delaware County. According to a release from Delaware Ohio State Highway Patrol, Kroft was driving a 2017 Honda Civic eastbound on Hoskins Road Sept. 5 in Thompson Township when her vehicle and an oncoming 2014 Dodge Dart both went left of center and crashed head-on.

At this time, it is unknown whether alcohol or drugs played a role in either collision but both are still under investigation.