An Ohio veterinarian, her husband and their one-year-old son were killed in a fiery multi-car crash when a driver — who faces up to five years in prison — smashed into a backed-up traffic jam.
Lynnea Soposki, 36, her analytical chemist husband Luke 37, and baby Logan died at the scene, while another three people were injured after tractor-trailer driver Modou F. Ngom allegedly plowed into several cars on Interstate 71 in Ohio just before 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Footage obtained by NBC4 shows Ngom’s white Freightliner truck hit a red car, which triggered a nine-vehicle crash on Interstate 71 and left cars engulfed in flames.
The Soposkis’ 2016 Chevrolet Silverado was one of the vehicles caught up in the crash.
The crash happened in a construction zone near the Route 37 interchange and the northbound exit was cut to one lane – just four days before the tragedy, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
And, the lane closure is part of a $31 million project to reduce congestion and improve road safety.
Mom-of-one Lynnea was a vet at the Muirfield Animal Hospital in Dublin, but outside of work, she loved beekeeping with her college sweetheart Luke, hiking, and working out, according to her hospital biography.
“Dr. Soposki was an extraordinary veterinarian, a compassionate caregiver, and a deeply valued member of our team,” the hospital said.
“She brought kindness, dedication, and a genuine love for her patients and their families into every interaction.”
Lynnea and Luke moved to Ohio from New York, and Michael Davies, the couple’s personal trainer at Metro Fitness Worthington, said they “blossomed,” as reported by WCMH.
“Luke is the perfect yin to her yang, you know, her hype man,” Davies said, describing him as her number one fan.
He recalled Lynnea and Luke brought little Logan into the gym just last month.
“We sat right in here for about 20 minutes and just had a great conversation, and you could just tell they were glowing as parents,” he said.
“Whatever time I had in their lives over the last seven, eight years, I’m blessed to have had it. I think a lot of people felt the same way.”
Ngom, 50, has been charged with vehicular homicide and is accused of not stopping when approaching a traffic backup.
The driver, who was in shackles during a Monday court hearing, was given a $500,000 cash surety bond and he faces one to five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine if convicted.
Prosecutors have warned that more charges could be filed, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
