CHESAPEAKE, Ohio — Authorities have identified 47-year-old Penny R. White as the victim of a deadly crash and residential fire Tuesday night in Union Township, Lawrence County.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the incident happened around 8:38 p.m. on September 23, 2025, along State Route 243 near milepost 18. First responders initially arrived for reports of a house fire with possible entrapment but soon determined the blaze was caused by a vehicle crash.
Investigators reported that Steven B. Holt, 49, of Chesapeake, was driving a 2014 GMC pickup westbound when he lost control. The truck veered off the roadway, crossed back over both lanes, went over an embankment, and overturned before striking a propane tank and crashing into a home. The impact triggered an explosion that engulfed both the residence and vehicle in flames.
White, who was inside the home, was pronounced dead at the scene. A second occupant, 23-year-old Chayton C. Adkins, escaped but suffered critical injuries. Holt, the driver, was also critically injured. Both were transported to Cabell Huntington Hospital by EMS.
Multiple local and state agencies responded to the scene. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is continuing its investigation.
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