Ellen DeFoor, a 70-year-old woman from Niles, Ohio, died after being struck by a vehicle while crossing U.S. Route 422 in Weathersfield Township on Friday evening. She was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries but did not survive. What began as an ordinary evening ended in tragedy for the woman and those who knew her.
The fatal crash happened around 6 p.m. near the McKinley Heights area in Trumbull County, northeastern Ohio. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, DeFoor was crossing the highway from its north side when a westbound vehicle struck her.
The vehicle was driven by Matthew Adams, 42, of Warren, Ohio. Authorities said Adams was traveling west on Route 422 when the collision occurred. The circumstances described by the Highway Patrol indicate that DeFoor was crossing the roadway when the vehicle hit her.
Emergency responders arrived and arranged for DeFoor to be taken by ambulance to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. She had suffered serious injuries in the collision and required immediate medical attention.
Despite being transported to the hospital, DeFoor later died from her injuries, according to the Highway Patrol. Her death turned the crash into a fatal pedestrian collision and left questions about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The crash occurred near McKinley Heights, an area in Weathersfield Township in southern Trumbull County. The township is close to Niles, Girard and Warren, communities that form part of the greater Youngstown-Warren area.
The Highway Patrol’s initial release did not say whether Adams received a traffic citation or faced any criminal charges. Officials also did not provide an exact crossing point or explain whether other circumstances contributed to the collision.
For now, the confirmed details remain limited. DeFoor, who lived in Niles, was struck while crossing Route 422, taken to the hospital with serious injuries and later pronounced dead. The loss of her life remains the central fact of a Friday evening crash that ended in tragedy.