Pickaway County, Ohio — The Pickaway County community is grieving the sudden and tragic loss of 70-year-old David E. Shannon, who died Monday morning following a violent head-on collision on U.S. Route 62 near Orient. The crash, reported just before 10:45 a.m. on December 10, 2025, brought an outpouring of shock and sorrow from family, friends, and neighbors who say Shannon’s death leaves a void that cannot be filled.
According to Pickaway County Sheriff Matthew O. Hafey, dispatchers received a 911 call at 10:41 a.m. reporting a serious crash in the 9900 block of U.S. Route 62. Deputies arrived to find a chaotic and heartbreaking scene involving a car and a semi-truck, the aftermath of what authorities described as a devastating head-on collision.
Investigators say Shannon had been driving his 2023 red Dodge Ram eastbound when he attempted to pass another vehicle. During that maneuver, his truck collided head-on with a westbound 2023 white Kenworth semi-truck. The impact was catastrophic and triggered a chain reaction involving a third vehicle, leaving debris scattered across the roadway and responders racing to assess the damage.
Despite rapid response from Sterling Joint Ambulance District medics, Shannon was pronounced dead at the scene.
For those who knew him, Shannon was far more than a name in a crash report. He was a beloved presence—known as a husband, father, grandfather, friend, and trusted member of the community. Loved ones describe him as a man who carried warmth and wisdom in equal measure, someone whose steady kindness left lasting impressions on everyone he met. His sudden passing, they say, is nothing short of heartbreaking.
Sheriff Hafey expressed gratitude to the many agencies that assisted at the crash site, including the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Tri-County Fire Department, Sterling Joint Ambulance District, the Pickaway County Coroner’s Office, and the Ohio Department of Transportation. Their teamwork and professionalism, he noted, were critical in responding to a profoundly difficult scene.
As the community reflects on Shannon’s life and mourns his loss, family and friends are holding tightly to memories of a man who meant so much to so many.