Federal Records Raise New Questions About Ohio Turnpike Safety After Deadly 2024 Crashes

The NTSB's final report is still pending after four people were killed in three separate crashes near an Ohio Turnpike toll plaza outside Toledo.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 8:09pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a shattered car sensor lens reflecting a faint red light, conceptually representing the damage and aftermath of the Ohio Turnpike crashes.The aftermath of the Ohio Turnpike crashes has raised concerns about the safety of the toll plaza system and the impact on emerging autonomous vehicle technology.Cleveland Today

New federal records are raising questions about the Ohio Turnpike system and what factors may have contributed to a series of fatal crashes near a toll plaza outside Toledo in August 2024. Body camera footage captured the emotional aftermath, with a driver pleading for changes to the system. The NTSB has been reviewing the crashes and found video showing numerous instances of vehicles swerving and nearly crashing at the toll plaza weeks before the deadly incident. Emails also show the Turnpike considered switching to an all-electronic tolling system, but opted against it due to projected revenue losses.

Why it matters

The crashes near the Ohio Turnpike toll plaza have raised serious concerns about the safety of the system, with questions about whether the Turnpike's design and operations may have played a role. The NTSB's final report is expected to include safety recommendations, which could lead to major changes for the Turnpike.

The details

On August 15, 2024, four people were killed in three separate crashes near a toll plaza on the Ohio Turnpike outside Toledo. The crashes occurred as driver Thupten Choeden, traveling from Minnesota, suddenly slowed while approaching the toll plaza, leading to a chain-reaction collision involving a tractor-trailer. Choeden told investigators that confusion led to her abrupt braking. New federal reports show that in the weeks before the deadly crashes, NTSB investigators observed 10 instances in a single day of vehicles swerving across multiple lanes and gore areas near the toll plaza. However, the NTSB decided that was sufficient to gauge the traffic patterns. Emails also reveal the Turnpike considered switching to an all-electronic tolling system, which could have been safer, but opted against it due to projected revenue losses of $41.9 million annually.

  • On July 25, 2024, NTSB investigators observed 10 instances of vehicles swerving across multiple lanes and gore areas near the Swanton Township toll plaza.
  • The crashes occurred on August 15, 2024 near mile post 49 in Swanton Township.
  • The NTSB's final report on the crashes is expected by August 2026.

The players

Thupten Choeden

The driver whose vehicle was struck from behind, triggering the chain-reaction crashes that killed four people. Choeden told investigators that confusion led to her sudden braking.

Ferzan Ahmed

The Ohio Turnpike Executive Director who claimed in August 2024 that the system was safe, despite the issues observed by the NTSB.

Dennis Spisak

A former Ohio Turnpike employee who pushed back on claims that the system was safe, saying the new, more expensive system was confusing for motorists.

Brian Dugger

A reporter from WTOL who led the reporting on this issue in the Toledo market and emailed questions to Turnpike officials.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

The federal agency that responded to the scene of the crashes, reviewed video footage, and is expected to release a final report with safety recommendations.

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What they’re saying

“Please change that… it killed two people already. Please. We don't want to kill any more people... Nobody wants to go through that.”

— Thupten Choeden

“It has been designed and operated to be a safe system. And historically, the Ohio Turnpike has been a safe system.”

— Ferzan Ahmed, Ohio Turnpike Executive Director

“They're trying to keep part of the old system and go to the new system, where it's just confusing for motorists. Especially those coming in from out of state.”

— Dennis Spisak, Former Turnpike employee

What’s next

The NTSB has not yet released its final report on the crashes, which is expected to include safety recommendations. That report is anticipated by August 2026.

The takeaway

This investigation raises serious questions about the safety of the Ohio Turnpike's toll plaza system, with concerns that the Turnpike's design and operations may have contributed to the deadly crashes. The NTSB's forthcoming report and recommendations could lead to major changes to improve safety for drivers on the Turnpike.