A Michigan teenager and a pregnant mother of two have both been identified as victims of the massive 46-car pile-up on the Ohio Turnpike that killed four.
Also in Ohio, on December 23, a 22-year-old linesman was killed while trying to repair a power line in Lawrence County.
The devastating winter storm continues to sweep across the United States and has claimed a total of 57 lives as of Monday night, with many of those deaths coming from the eastern states.
In New York’s Erie County, where Buffalo is located, 27 people were killed by winter-related incidents during the storm.
Emma Smith, 19, was one of four people killed in the Ohio pile-up
Pregnant mother-of-two Julie Roth, 37, was also killed in the crash on Friday
The pile-up occurred just after 12:30 p.m. on December 23 in Groton Township along the east side of the Ohio Turnpike.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Sergeant Ryan Purpura said local law enforcement spent hours investigating the fatal accident.
Emma Smith, 19, was identified Sunday after the December 23 crash.
On Monday, family and friends described the Michigan teen, a community college student, as having a “gentle soul” who was “always there for people.”
In a post Monday, Emma’s father shared the news of her death and asked friends to share their stories of Emma during her time of mourning.
“It’s hard for me to find the words to say that our sweet daughter, Emma Smith, left this world on Friday, December 23,” said Matthew G. Smith.
“Details of her end-of-life ministry will be posted here shortly. If anyone wants to tell an Emma story it would be wonderful for my family,” the father wrote.
“I know she was the light of your life. There is not much anyone can say to ease the pain of this loss, but please know that you are on my mind. Keep you and your family in my heart during your time of mourning,” one commenter wrote.
Smith was “always there for people,” said a friend, recalling the teen
A friend described the 19-year-old as a “gentle soul”.
Pregnant nurse Julie Roth, 37, was also killed in the pileup and was in the car with her two children at the time of the incident.
Julie and her unborn child both died, but their children survived, according to a GoFundMe created by her sister-in-law, Chris Roth.
“I am writing to ask for support for our family following a devastating loss,” Chris wrote.
“Fortunately, her two children survived but are suffering from the accident,” the family member said.
GoFundMe has raised $52,000 of its $100,000 goal as of Monday night, just a day after its inception.
Roth’s two children were in the car at the time of the accident but survived
A GoFundMe started for Julie Roth’s husband and children has raised more than half of its $100,000 goal as of Monday night
Bernard M. Bloniarz, 59, was also identified over the weekend.
The fourth person killed in the crash has yet to be publicly identified as officials continue to work to notify their next of kin.
“Weather is believed to be a factor in the crash. The crash is still under investigation,” Sgt. Purpura said after the crash.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said a 30-year veteran of the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department. “One of the worst incidents I’ve ever reacted to.”
The accident happened on the Ohio Turnpike on Friday afternoon
46 vehicles were involved in the pile-up
Four people died in the devastating crash
Only three of the four people killed were publicly identified Monday
An EMS worker from Toledo described it as “one of the worst incidents I have ever responded to”.
In another part of Ohio, a linesman performing repairs on a power line was killed in an “electrical contact incident” on Friday.
Blake Rodgers, 22, was working to restore power in the Lawrence County winter storm when he was killed just after 10:15 a.m.
“Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative is devastated by this loss and is asking for the support and privacy of the line worker’s family and team as we navigate this tragedy,” Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative officials said in a post.
The company could not provide any further information on the incident.
“The safety of our field workers is always a top priority, especially when working in such dangerous conditions,” the company said in its Facebook post.
Blake Rodgers, 22, was killed while repairing a power line in Lawrence County, Ohio
Rogers family members remembered him in memorial posts on social media over the weekend.
“I’ve loved everything about Christmas up until now,” said his mother, Brandie Hale.
“Now it will be something I will dread forever because it will be a constant reminder of the days I lost you,” the mother said on Facebook.
Hale called her son her “greatest gift” and urged her friends and family to “give your kids a little tighter hug.”
In the United States, nearly 60 were killed as a result of the winter storm.
Deaths have been recorded in a dozen states.
Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin have all reported at least one death during the storm.
The incident was described as a “one off” weather event.
The devastating storm hitting the US continues to rage and 57 people have now died
A weather map shows today’s freezing conditions across much of the country
A man clears snow from the front of his home in Buffalo on Sunday. Four people were found dead in snow banks and their cars
Snow piled up quickly in Erie County, New York, home of Buffalo. Almost four meters of snow had fallen by Sunday morning
One of the hardest-hit areas is Erie County, New York.
On Monday night, Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz delivered a heartbreaking update on the county.
Of the 27 people killed in Erie County, 14 were found outside, three were found in a vehicle, four were found without a heater, three from an EMS delay, and three died from shovel and snowdrift incidents.
The county is expected to see snow well into Tuesday.
“We can see some kind of light at the end of the tunnel, but that’s not the end,” said Poloncarz. ‘We are not there.’
Buffalo’s total snowfall for the entire 2022-2023 season is less than three inches from total normal seasonal snowfall for the area
Very unfortunate that @ECDOH The coroner has confirmed two more deaths from the blizzard. The total number of deaths is now 27. Of which:
– 3 were from an EMS delay;
– 14 were found outside;
– 3 were from scoop/blow cardiac events;
– 4 were without heat; &
– 3 were in one vehicle. pic.twitter.com/Om996bJMoo— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) December 26, 2022
As of Monday morning, the Buffalo airport had seen more than 49 inches of snow during the historic winter storm.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service of Buffalo reported that the area had already been hit with 92.7 inches of snow in the 2022 season so far.
For comparison, Buffalo typically sees 95.4 inches for the entire season ending June 30th.
“A very snowy start to the season with lake effect events focused on #Buffalo Airport and surrounding areas,” NWS Buffalo tweeted Sunday night. “The 92.7″ of snow is not only the most snow to start the winter season through #Christmas, but is also just 2.7″ short of typical total seasonal snowfall.”
Millions of people huddled against a deep freeze on Sunday morning to weather the frigid storm
A drone image shows the deep frost in Cheektowaga, New York, covered with a blanket of snow