Palatine man dies in massive Ohio pileup crash

A Palatine man was one of three people who died Wednesday in a winter weather-related chain-reaction crash on the Ohio Turnpike, authorities said Thursday.

Grzegorz A. Piwowarczyk, 42, was driving a commercial vehicle involved in the crash with as many as 16 vehicles in Sandusky County, according to a news release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Hannah Matheny, 20, of Parma, Ohio, a passenger in a Ford Focus, also died in the pileup, police said.

A second crash about a mile away involving approximately 20 vehicles resulted in the death of Janice M. Robb, 66, of Schererville, Indiana, police said.

Police were dispatched to the first crash at 1:25 p.m. Eastern time. A responding state trooper was severely injured when he was struck and became pinned between two vehicles.