It happened in plain daylight—6:03 p.m. on November 17, 2025—at an intersection where traffic normally moves slowly and predictably. But on this evening, at North Wooster Avenue and Karle Alley, tragedy struck with sudden and irreversible force. Kathy M. Fruchey, 69, was walking northbound in the right travel lane rather than on the sidewalk. For reasons investigators are still working to determine, she remained in the roadway as a white 2021 Ram Promaster 1500 cargo van approached from behind.
The van, driven by an 80-year-old local man who was alone and properly restrained, struck Kathy before he had any apparent opportunity to avoid her. He sustained no injuries. Kathy, however, bore the full impact of the collision. When first responders arrived, they found her unconscious and critically wounded in the roadway. Police believe the crash was not immediately witnessed
by anyone, meaning no bystander called it in; instead, the incident was discovered only after the driver realized what had occurred and emergency services were contacted.Medics began life-saving measures on scene, fighting against the clock as they stabilized her enough for transport. She was taken initially to Union Hospital, where her condition continued to deteriorate.
Recognizing the severity of her injuries, doctors arranged for an emergency airlift to Akron Summa Hospital, a regional trauma center equipped to handle the most serious cases.Despite every attempt—CPR, advanced trauma interventions, and continuous critical care—Kathy Fruchey was pronounced dead hours after the collision. Investigators are now reconstructing the crash,
examining vehicle data, roadway conditions, visibility factors, and Kathy’s path of travel to understand how she came to be in the lane and why the driver was unable to avoid her.For her family, the shock is immense. A routine walk ended in a way no one could foresee, leaving loved ones grappling with grief and the unsettling knowledge that the fatal crash occurred without witnesses, in a moment of tragic, quiet isolation.
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