DARKE COUNTY, Ohio — The Darke County community is grieving the loss of three men who tragically died in a multi-vehicle crash on Friday. Joshua Armstrong, 19, of Greenville, and Carl Schlechty, 18, of Greenville, were identified as victims found in a cargo van involved in the collision, according to Darke County Sheriff Mark Whittaker.
Spirit EMS driver Chris Bemis also lost his life in the crash. Authorities reported that a cargo van hauling snow-removal equipment was traveling north on SR 49 when it crossed the center line and collided head-on with a Spirit EMS transport van. The impact caused the van and another car to catch fire. It remains unclear which man was driving the cargo van.
One of the victims was a student at Miami Valley Career Technology Center. The school district expressed profound sorrow, stating:
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students… our thoughts are with the student’s family, friends, classmates, and all those involved. Support services are in place and will remain available as long as needed. This loss impacts our entire MVCTC community.”
Family, friends, classmates, and the Darke County community continue to mourn this devastating tragedy as authorities investigate the incident and support those affected.
