NEWS

Circleville woman dies in interstate crash

Advocate staff report

BUCKEYE LAKE – A Circleville woman was pronounced dead after a crash early Tuesday morning on Interstate 70.

The crash was reported around 4:15 a.m., according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol news release.

A Licking Township Fire Company spokesperson said a van rear-ended a semi near the Ohio 79 interchange.

The driver of the 2005 Chrysler minivan, Marvalene Nungester, 69, was not restrained and was pronounced dead at the scene, the news release stated.

According to the release, Nungester was traveling east on I-70, drove off the right side of the road and struck the rear of a 2006 Freightliner tractor trailer parked on the side of the entrance ramp to the rest area.

The driver of the semi, Brian Zoll, 51, of Bloomville, was in a sleeper berth at the time of the crash and was not injured, the release said.

The highway was closed for several hours immediately after the crash. The patrol is continuing to investigate.