NTSB urges fully electronic tolling after Ohio crash

(RiverNorthPhotography/Getty Images)

A 2024 crash on the Ohio Turnpike has prompted National Transportation Safety Board investigators to take a closer look at how toll plaza crashes can be prevented.

In a report released Sept. 16, NTSB concluded the crash likely could have been avoided if the turnpike had used fully electronic tolling and provided clearer toll-payment signage.

The crash occurred at a toll plaza on Interstate 80 near Swanton, Ohio. According to NTSB, an SUV traveling in a high-speed toll lane slowed while attempting to move into a low-speed manual toll lane. A tractor-trailer then struck the SUV, causing the truck to overturn.

Two SUV passengers, an adult and a child, died in the crash, and another passenger suffered serious injuries. The SUV driver and truck driver also were seriously injured. Investigators found the vehicle occupants were not wearing seat belts, which the agency said could have reduced the severity of injuries or prevented fatalities.

“We found that the SUV driver’s attempt to enter the low-speed toll lanes created a rapidly increasing speed differential between the two vehicles, and although the SUV was likely visible to the truck driver, the magnitude of the speed difference between the two vehicles would have been difficult for him to determine,” the report stated.

Investigators also determined the SUV driver likely experienced a loss of situational awareness because of fatigue and that the truck driver did not have sufficient time to react to the SUV’s lane change and sudden deceleration.

NTSB recommended that the Federal Highway Administration update traffic-control standards and guidance for toll facilities, including signage related to toll-payment options. The board also urged the agency to update best-practices guidance for toll operators to address the safety benefits of fully electronic tolling.

In addition, NTSB recommended that the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission and Springfield Township accelerate construction of a turnpike access point to improve emergency response times and evaluate whether additional access points are needed.

The board further recommended that the commission permanently close low-speed toll lanes and convert to fully electronic toll collection. It also urged the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association to inform members about the crash and the safety benefits associated with eliminating low-speed toll lanes.

The report acknowledged that hybrid tolling systems — which offer manual and electronic collection — are often maintained for financial reasons because they allow agencies to collect tolls from motorists who lack transponders or toll tags. However, investigators noted that Ohio Turnpike toll plazas already use high-speed license-plate readers in all lanes, allowing tolls to be billed after travel.

The report noted that Illinois and Pennsylvania, whose tolling systems connect with the Ohio Turnpike, already have adopted fully electronic toll collection.

In a statement, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission said, “We continue to extend our sympathies to the victims and families affected by the crashes. We thank the NTSB for its thorough and professional investigation over the past two years. We will carefully review its recommendations. We are committed to protecting every traveler who uses the Ohio Turnpike.”

The commission noted that the Ohio Turnpike remains among the nation’s safest roads, citing a 2025 fatal crash rate of 0.4 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled compared with a national rate of 1.1, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency said it would not comment further because of ongoing litigation related to the crash.

The SUV driver, Thupten Choedon, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in July on behalf of her surviving child and the estates of her husband, Tenzin Drukgyal, and child, Dawa Norbu, who died in the crash. The suit contends the design of the toll plaza contributed to the collision and alleges the truck lacked collision-avoidance technology that could have reduced the likelihood or severity of the crash.