State Route 60 in Wayne Township, just outside Zanesville, Ohio, became the scene of a fatal crash Saturday afternoon that killed three people and left communities reeling. At about 3 p.m. a southbound vehicle crossed the centerline and struck an oncoming SUV head-on.
The driver of the southbound car, 18-year-old Adam Cornelison of Duncan Falls, was pronounced dead at the site of the crash. Cornelison’s car veered into the path of a 2025 Honda CR-V driven by Bradley Stanley, 53, of Newark. Both vehicles suffered severe damage in the impact.
Inside the Honda were two passengers, 29-year-old Mackenzie Lawrence and 22-year-old Brooklyn Stanley, both of Newark. They were rushed to Genesis Hospital after first responders freed them from the wreckage. Emergency workers fought to save them, but both women died from their injuries at the hospital.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol and local fire and EMS crews responded quickly to the crash, closing off the roadway and treating the injured. Their work at the scene was extensive, involving multiple departments working under difficult conditions to provide care and secure the area.
The investigation into the cause of the crash remains active. Patrol officials are reviewing how Cornelison’s vehicle came to cross the centerline, and whether speed, distraction, or other factors played a role. The crash has sparked renewed calls from local law enforcement for drivers to stay focused and obey safety laws.
Family members, friends and neighbors have spoken about the lives lost. Cornelison was a young man whose future was just beginning when the collision ended it. Lawrence and Stanley were loved and admired by those who knew them, and their loss has hit close to home in Newark and surrounding towns.
The community has come together in the aftermath, offering support and comfort at vigils and prayer gatherings. The shared grief has drawn people from different walks of life to console one another.
Officials remind drivers that every trip carries risks and that precautions like wearing seatbelts can make a difference. In this case, emergency workers and investigators are left piecing together what happened on that quiet stretch of highway.
As the investigation continues, families are planning memorials and tributes to honor the memories of the three who died, determined that their stories be told as more than just tragedy.
