DAYTON, OH (November 11, 2025) — A 34-year-old man died Thursday morning in a four-vehicle chain-reaction crash that shut down Interstate 75 North in Dayton for nearly five hours. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Kevin M. Brendle of Stow.
Accident Details: The Dayton Police Department reported that the crash occurred around 10:55 a.m. Thursday on I-75 North just before State Route 4. According to a crash report, Brendle was driving a 2025 Ford cargo van that was slowing in traffic when an Amazon semi truck traveling in the right lane failed to maintain assured clear distance and hit the back of the van.
The impact pushed the van into a 2022 Dodge Ram that was stopped in traffic. The van also hit a second semi truck in the middle lane. The Amazon semi truck continued to push the van, causing it to hit the concrete median. Brendle was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
The crash involved two semi trucks, one work van, and one work pickup truck. Dispatchers first received calls from motorists around 11 a.m., saying that two semi tractor trailers were involved and that a person was trapped. Witnesses described the crash as a chain reaction.
The crash report noted that it was unclear if the cargo van’s brake lights were working at the time of the collision.
Investigation: The Dayton Police Department Traffic Services Unit is continuing to investigate the crash. The highway initially shut down around 11 a.m., with all northbound lanes closed just beyond Second Street/Salem Avenue. One of the southbound lanes was also closed.
For five hours, traffic was detoured through downtown Dayton, causing several street backups. The highway reopened around 4 p.m.
Legal Considerations: Failure to maintain assured clear distance is a common cause of rear-end collisions on interstate highways. Commercial truck drivers have a heightened duty to maintain safe following distances, especially in slowing or stopped traffic, due to the extended stopping distance required for large vehicles.
When a semi truck strikes a smaller vehicle from behind with enough force to push it into other vehicles and barriers, the severity of the impact often proves fatal for occupants of the smaller vehicle. The crash report’s notation about potentially non-working brake lights raises questions about whether vehicle maintenance issues contributed to the collision alongside the truck driver’s failure to slow.
Families who lose loved ones in commercial truck crashes can pursue wrongful death claims against the truck driver and the company operating the vehicle. In this case, the involvement of an Amazon semi truck means the company could face liability for the driver’s actions if the driver was operating within the scope of employment.
These claims seek compensation for funeral expenses, lost wages and future earnings, and the profound loss of companionship and support the victim provided to surviving family members.
We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Kevin M. Brendle during this time of profound loss.
Source: WDTN