Keith Klatt,Joellen Klatt Obituary, Death; – A total of three individuals lost their lives in traffic incidents in Ohio during the New Year’s holiday period, which included two fatalities in Columbus, as reported by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The patrol’s holiday reporting period this year spanned two days, from December 31, 2024, to January 1. Among the fatalities, one was attributed to driving under the influence, while the other two involved a couple who were struck and killed by a vehicle on the Far West Side of Columbus early on New Year’s Day.
Columbus police are actively investigating a fatal incident that resulted in the deaths of two individuals early Wednesday morning on the city’s Far West Side. At approximately 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day, police were dispatched to the intersection of Alkire and Norton roads following reports of a multi-vehicle accident.
The victims, Keith Klatt, 56, and Joellen Klatt, 53, who had recently relocated from Galloway to Grove City, were outside their vehicle exchanging information with the driver of another vehicle involved in a prior non-injury accident, according to a news release from Columbus police.
While they were engaged in this exchange, a Dodge Dakota pickup truck approached the intersection from the west and collided with the Klatts and their Hyundai. Keith Klatt was pronounced dead at the scene, while Joellen Klatt succumbed to her injuries later at a hospital.
As of early Thursday afternoon, the driver of the pickup had not been charged or identified, and the investigation by Columbus police remains ongoing. During the New Year’s holiday reporting period, OSHP troopers conducted 1,474 traffic enforcement actions and arrested 77 individuals for impaired driving. Additionally, they issued 73 citations for distracted driving and 159 for seat belt violations.
The three fatalities represent a decrease from the previous New Year’s Day reporting period of 2023-2024, which recorded seven deaths, according to OSHP data. It is noteworthy that the earlier reporting period spanned four days, from December 29, 2023, to January 1, 2024.
