Local News
Crash on I-90 kills 43-year-old Brian Petruccelli of South Amherst
CLEVELAND — A 43-year-old man was killed in a violent early Tuesday morning crash along Interstate 90 on the city’s west side, according to Cleveland Police and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The crash occurred at approximately 2:00 a.m. in the westbound lanes of I-90 near West 117th Street.
Preliminary information from investigators indicates that the vehicle—a yellow Chevrolet Corvette—left the roadway, traveled through a grassy embankment, and subsequently struck both a tree and a guardrail.
Authorities reported that the impact caused catastrophic damage to the vehicle, which was torn apart upon collision.
Video footage provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) corroborated the severity of the crash and captured a subsequent explosion.
Police further stated that the driver was ejected during the incident.
Responding officers arriving at the scene encountered extensive debris scattered across the roadway, with the Corvette fragmented into numerous pieces.
The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner later identified the victim as 43-year-old Brian Petruccelli of South Amherst.
Multiple police and fire units responded to the crash, prompting the closure of all westbound lanes of Interstate 90 near West 117th Street for approximately two and a half hours as crews conducted emergency response and cleanup operations.
Approximately one hour after the initial crash, a secondary collision occurred at the scene.
According to authorities, a vehicle struck a Cleveland Fire Department truck that had been positioned to block traffic and protect emergency personnel during cleanup efforts.
The driver of that vehicle, a woman, was transported to Fairview Hospital with minor injuries.
By approximately 5:00 a.m., all westbound lanes of Interstate 90 had been reopened to traffic, although one entrance ramp in the area remained temporarily closed.
The circumstances surrounding the initial crash remain under investigation.
Local News
29-Year-Old Alex Rodriguez Found Dead on University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, No Foul Play Suspected
URBANA, Ill. — A 29-year-old Champaign man found dead on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus Monday morning has been identified as Alex C. Rodriguez, according to the Champaign County Coroner’s Office.
The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) responded to the area of Green and Wright streets at approximately 6:42 a.m. after receiving a report of an unresponsive person near the Alma Mater statue.
Officers arrived and found Rodriguez on a concrete bench. Emergency medical assistance was requested at the scene.
The Champaign County Coroner’s Office responded, and Rodriguez was pronounced dead at approximately 7:16 a.m., according to Coroner Laurie Brauer.
Authorities said Rodriguez was not affiliated with the University of Illinois.
UIPD provided an update Monday afternoon, saying preliminary observations at the scene revealed no signs of foul play.
Police also said there was no evidence of an ongoing threat to the university campus or surrounding community based on the information available when officers responded.
Because investigators did not identify an active threat, the university did not issue an Illini-Alert emergency notification.
The circumstances surrounding Rodriguez’s death have not been determined.
An autopsy has been scheduled, and the death remains under investigation by the University of Illinois Police Department.
Authorities have not released additional information about the circumstances leading to Rodriguez’s death.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional details are expected as investigators receive further information from the autopsy and other evidence.
No foul play has been indicated based on the preliminary investigation.