Darke County, OH – Three people were killed and multiple others injured following a violent, multi-vehicle crash that shut down State Route 49 for nearly five hours Friday morning.
According to the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 7:21 a.m. Friday, January 16, to reports of a vehicle fire and possible crash in the 2400 block of State Route 49 near Arcanum. First responders arriving on scene discovered a three-vehicle collision, with two vehicles fully engulfed in flames.
Investigators say a full-size cargo van pulling a trailer, traveling northbound on SR-49 with two adult male occupants, crossed the centerline and struck a southbound 2023 Chevrolet medical transport bus. The bus was driven by Chris Bemis, 63, of St. Marys, and was carrying one juvenile passenger and an aide, identified as Bonnie Behee, 62, of New Madison.
After the initial impact, the cargo van continued north and collided with a 2013 Dodge sedan driven by Kenadie Hensley, 18, of Arcanum. Both the cargo van and sedan caught fire. Authorities say Hensley was able to escape her vehicle, but the two men inside the cargo van were found deceased in the burning wreckage.
Behee and the juvenile passenger were transported to Wayne Healthcare with non-life-threatening injuries. Bemis became trapped in the transport bus and had to be mechanically extricated. He was flown to Miami Valley Hospital, where he later died from his injuries, according to officials.
Hensley was treated at the scene and released.
The Darke County Coroner’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office Traffic Crash Reconstruction Team continue to investigate. The identities of the two men in the cargo van are pending confirmation by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.
State Route 49 was closed for approximately five hours during the investigation.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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