A foreign exchange student in Pickaway County died Wednesday night as a result of a serious accident that already claimed the life of two people.
Vlad Gaidai died at Grant Medical Center at approxmiately 5 p.m. Wednesday. His parents were by his side at the time, according to friends close to the family.
Gaidai was an exchange student visiting the United States from Russia. He was one of several people injured Saturday in a serious wrong-way crash near Circleville. Two others died, including the wrong way driver and a 17-year-old.
A GoFundMe has been set up to assist the Gaidai family with returning to their home-country with their son’s body.
According to the Highway Patrol, a trooper was struck by a wrong way driver late Friday night. That’s when troopers gave chase to the car still driving the wrong way, but before they could catch up the car crashed into two other vehicles on US 23 near North Court Street in Circleville. Two people died, and Gaidai was air-lifted from the scene by a medical helicopter.
At least one trooper was injured; the injuries were very minor, according to officials.
A witness who was pulling a camper told the Guardian that he and two others who were in traffic raced to one of the vehicles that were on fire and used fire extinguishers to put out flames before firefighters arrived on scene. The southbound lanes were closed for several hours as troopers investigated.
As a result of this crash, Joshua Fyffe, Jr., 17 of Ashville, was pronounced dead at the scene. Carol J. Fowler, 56 of Pickerington, was transported to Berger Hospital where she died. A passenger in the other vehicle struck was transported to Berger Hospital where he was treated and released. The other three occupants in that vehicle were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
