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NTSB Calls for Fully Electronic Tolling After Deadly Swanton Crash
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The 2024 Swanton Toll Plaza Crash and NTSB Findings
In August 2024, an SUV traveling in the high-speed toll lanes on the Ohio Turnpike slowed abruptly and moved toward the manual toll booths. A truck-trailer struck the SUV from behind, overturning and spilling sulfonic acid. Two SUV passengers were killed, the SUV driver, another passenger, and the truck driver were seriously injured. The National Transportation Safety Board released its investigation on September 16, 2026, concluding that the hybrid toll-plaza design—mixing high-speed electronic lanes with low-speed manual lanes—created conditions that encouraged last-minute lane changes and large speed differentials, increasing crash risk.
Hybrid Toll Design and Safety Risks
Video monitoring over a three-week span captured 1,099 instances of sudden lane changes at the Swanton plaza, averaging about 52 per day. The NTSB determined that this pattern, combined with the lack of clear signage about payment options, contributed directly to the fatal collision. The board also noted that emergency responders were delayed because they lacked direct access to the toll road, a factor that could affect outcomes in future incidents.
Recommendations and Official Responses
The NTSB recommends that the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission permanently close low-speed manual lanes and adopt fully electronic tolling at all plazas. It also urges the Federal Highway Administration to issue guidance on the safety benefits of such systems and advises the commission to evaluate additional emergency-access points. The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission issued a statement saying it will “carefully review” the recommendations and highlighted its 2025 fatal-crash rate of 0.4 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, compared with the national rate of 1.1, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Data and Statistics
- 1,099 last-minute lane changes observed (?52 per day).
- Four deaths and at least ten injuries resulted from the crash and two subsequent collisions on the same stretch.
- None of the deceased occupants were wearing seat belts, a factor the NTSB says could have prevented the fatalities.
- Illinois and Pennsylvania have already implemented fully electronic tolling on their portions of Interstate 80.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This crash shows the deadly safety consequences of mixing high-speed electronic tolling with low-speed manual tolling lanes,” — NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, said NTSB chairwoman