In a quest for justice spanning multiple towns, troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol are actively searching for a semi-truck driver responsible for a hit-and-run on I-77 in Tuscarawas County that culminated in the death of a 78-year-old local man, Dennis Alsept. The fatal incident, which occurred on October 24, was captured in part by Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) video footage, showing the red semi-truck making a U-turn through a median and leading to a collision with Alsept’s vehicle, detailed a report from
WKYC
.
Attempting to disseminate information to the public, the OSHP described the suspect vehicle as a red International semi pulling a flatbed trailer with distinctive features such as an aftermarket chrome front bumper with lights across the bottom and two tinted windows atop the sleeper portion. The truck was observed with white lettering on its doors, carrying a load that appeared to be a black metal pipe. This information, in a statement obtained by
Cleveland19
, is part of efforts from local authorities to gather leads on the driver’s whereabouts, which have not been accounted for since the incident.
The aftermath of the collision saw Alsept transported to Aultman Hospital to treat serious injuries, where he succumbed a week later on October 31. His family, through spoken words of grief and longing for closure, requests public assistance in the ongoing search. “We want justice. We want this driver found,” Andy Donaldson, Alsept’s son-in-law, told
WKYC
, commenting on the heartfelt anguish that grips the family in the wake of such a sudden loss.
Donaldson emphasized Alsept’s love for his family and the void his passing has left. “My wife doesn’t have her father. My kids and grandkids don’t have their grandpa,” he recalled in a report by
WKYC
. Before making it into the southbound lanes and then fleeing the scene, video footage documented the semi-truck pulling off to the right shoulder, where the driver sat for over a minute before departing before first responders could arrive.
The OSHP continues its investigation, tracking the semi’s path through towns like Apple Creek, Mount Eaton, Wilmot, and Strasburg before its fatal entry onto I-77 North. The collected evidence suggests travel times across these locations, giving a timeline preceding the incident
reported by
FOX8
. The New Philadelphia Post of the OSHP urges anyone with information regarding the semi or the case to call 330-339-1103. The search for the driver remains a perhaps heartbreaking
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yet unyielding quest for accountability and closure for the Alsept family.
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