Ashland County, OH — February 13, 2026, David Kuhns and Malachi Whitehead were killed due to a multi-vehicle truck accident at 6:04 a.m. along US 30.
Preliminary information from the Ohio State Highway Patrol says the crash happened in the Vermilion Township area at US 30 and State Route 511, near Hayesville.
According to officials, 61-year-old David Kuhns was in a Ford Transit van going westbound along the highway. 23-year-old Malachi James Harley John Whitehead was in a Dodge Dart going along SR-511. The Dodge collided with a semi-truck going eastbound on US 30. This sent the Dodge across the median into the path of the van, and those vehicles then collided.
Due to the accident, David Kuhns and Malachi Whitehead sustained fatal injuries. The truck driver and a teenager involved in the crash sustained injuries. At this time, additional details are unavailable.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Regardless of what happened here, a collision this serious spanning this much of the roadway is likely to present a complex situation for investigators. One of the first questions I ask when looking into deadly commercial truck wrecks is: Are authorities able to give the crash the attention it deserves? Here’s what that means.
Some departments prioritize accident reconstruction more highly than others. It takes state-of-the-art equipment, years of experience, and unique training to consider all of the possible factors that contribute to a commercial vehicle accident. That includes things like vehicle data, potential defects, road design, debris and road marking analysis, vehicle maintenance and driver records, etc. If authorities have a team dedicated to that kind of thorough investigation, they can likely get victims and families the answers they deserve.
However, families sometimes find that their questions aren’t being answered, or they feel details aren’t really adding up. That may be a sign that important details are slipping through the cracks. In those situations, families might decide they’d feel more comfortable bringing in an outside opinion. Having another set of eyes look things over can make all the difference between a family being left in the dark and people getting the answers and the closure they truly deserve.
