A Kenton teen was cited for several traffic violations after a rollover crash Friday afternoon on State Route 540 near Love’s Travel Stop.
Just after 3 PM Bellefontaine Police and Logan County Sheriff Deputies responded to reports of an accident involving a flipped car.
Upon arrival, law enforcement saw a heavily damaged vehicle resting upside down off the side of the road near a broken curb at the travel stop entrance.
The driver, later identified as Lucas Bopp, 18, of Kenton, was found uninjured and seated in the passenger side of a patrol car.
According to his statement, he had been going westbound on State Route 540 in the right-turn lane when he glanced in his rearview mirror.
Upon returning his focus to the road, he noticed the vehicle in front of him slowing down.
In an attempt to avoid a collision, Bopp swerved left, hit his brakes—causing them to seize—and lost control of the vehicle.
The vehicle spun, struck a curb with its left side, and rolled over before coming to a rest in a grassy area.
Bopp reported his speed at the time to be approximately 45 mph.
Two people at Love’s, said they saw a vehicle stop in front of Bopp, making him swerve and lose control.
A third witness, also driving on State Route 540, told officers that Bopp attempted to pass her using the turn lane, encountered a slowing vehicle, and swerved back behind her before crashing.
The witness also reported that Bopp was traveling at a high rate of speed.
Initial investigations led officers to issue Bopp a citation for Failure to Control.
Further investigation determined Bopp’s vehicle had been traveling at approximately 60–65 mph at the start of the skid, according to measurements.
Video footage from Love’s confirmed high speed and loss of control.
Shafer’s Towing was called to tow the vehicle, and upon flipping the vehicle upright, officers discovered that the driver’s seatbelt was not extended—indicating that Bopp had not been wearing it at the time of the crash.
Police issued additional citations to Bopp for reckless operation and a seat belt violation.
