BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, OH. (THECOUNT) — Kreigh Grapel Barnette, 26, of Akron, has been identified as the woman killed Saturday night in a head-on crash on Interstate 480 in Brooklyn Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the fatal two-vehicle collision was reported at approximately 11:27 p.m. on eastbound I-480 near mile marker 19 in the Cleveland-area community.
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Troopers said Grapel Barnette was driving a 2007 Toyota Yaris eastbound when the vehicle went off the left side of the roadway, crossed the median and collided head-on with a 2026 Subaru Outlander traveling in the opposite direction.
The Subaru was driven by James Mieczkowski, 56, of Oak Park, Illinois. Passengers included Brenda Massaroni, 64, and Alison Mieczkowski, 23, both also of Oak Park.
Grapel Barnette was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to troopers. She was transported from the scene by Brooklyn Heights Fire and EMS to MetroHealth, where she was later pronounced deceased from injuries sustained in the collision.
Mieczkowski and Massaroni were also wearing their seatbelts and were transported to MetroHealth with minor injuries, according to the highway patrol.
The crash resulted in a lengthy closure of the interstate. I-480 westbound was shut down for approximately two and a half hours while emergency crews worked the scene and investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the collision. Traffic was diverted onto I-77 south during the closure.
Several agencies assisted at the crash scene, including Newburgh Heights EMS, Brooklyn Heights Fire and EMS, Brooklyn Heights Police Department, Valley View Police Department, Garfield Heights Police Department, Cuyahoga Heights Police Department and Independence Police Department.
Kufner Towing and the Ohio Department of Transportation also assisted emergency responders and highway patrol personnel at the scene.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the crash remains under investigation. No additional information regarding the circumstances leading up to the Toyota leaving the roadway was immediately released.
Brooklyn Heights is a village in Cuyahoga County within the greater Cleveland metropolitan area of northeastern Ohio. The community is located just south of Cleveland and is connected to the region’s major highway network by I-480 and nearby I-77.
Google Maps: I-480 near mile marker 19, Brooklyn Heights, Ohio
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