VIENNA — The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Warren Post is investigating a fatal crash in the township.

A Ford Fusion carrying three people — driver Joshua Johnston, 36, of North Lima, and Miranda Zullo, 35, of Youngstown and a juvenile — was heading southbound on Warner Road approaching state Route 82 at 8:13 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release from the post.

The release states the car was struck on the passenger side by an eastbound Subaru Crosstrek driven by Katherine McMullin, 28, of Brookfield, as the Fusion failed to stop at the stop sign when entering the intersection.

The Subaru’s impact pushed the Ford off the road’s south side and into a ditch.

Zullo was pronounced dead at the scene and the juvenile was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash. Johnston was transported to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries and McMullin suffered minor injuries.

Police and fire departments from Brookfield, Liberty and Vienna assisted at the scene.

The Ford’s occupants were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, according to the release. The crash remains under investigation.

The patrol report states “failing to yield at stop signs and traffic lights is a high-risk violation. When at a red light or stop sign, remember to take the extra time to look before entering the intersection while keeping your seat belts fastened. The extra second will save your life.”

PREVIOUS CRASHES

This was the third fatal crash in less than a month involving unbelted occupants.

Just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 29, a 2006 Nissan XSterra carrying Britni Ulam, 35, of Niles, and Frank Walter, 31, of Cortland, traveled off the side of the road, struck a culvert, overturned and crossed back over the road before traveling down an embankment. The patrol said neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt and both victims were thrown from the vehicle. Alcohol and speed both contributed to the crash, the patrol report states.

As police and rescue personnel were responding to the crash, a southbound 2014 Nissan Altima driven by Karen Bartone, 54, of Niles, struck Walter, killing him.

Ulam sustained serious injuries in

the first crash. Both crashes still are being investigated.

About a week before that, on Oct. 21, a Warren man was killed and a passenger injured following a one-vehicle crash on Pine Avenue SE in Howland. Michael Campbell, 52, of Warren, died at the scene, and his passenger, Michael Kuhl, 50, of Milton, Florida, was seriously injured in the crash.

Neither man was wearing a seatbelt and they were ejected from the northbound 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am after it failed to negotiate a curve, drove off the left side of the road and struck a guardrail before entering a ditch and some woods. It overturned several times and came to rest on its roof within the traffic lanes of Pine Avenue, according to a report by the patrol.

Speed, alcohol and drugs were all suspected to be contributing factors in that crash, the patrol said.