Victim in fatal Champaign Co. crash ID’d

A North Lewisburg man was killed in a head-on crash early Wednesday morning on U.S. 36 in Champaign County.

Mark E. Smith, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene after his white 2013 Kia Rio was struck head on when a 2015 silver Honda Civic — driven by Jeffrey L. Foster, 54, of Bellefontaine — hit a deer and went left of center.

Foster, who was traveling eastbound on U.S. 36, was transported to Mercy of Urbana with injuries, then transferred to Riverside Hospital in Columbus, according to a release from the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.

Smith was driving westbound on U.S. 36 and coming up over a hill when the crash occurred.

The crash remains under investigation, according to Capt. David Rapp, with the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the area of U.S. 36 just east of South Ludlow Road at 5:20 a.m. Wednesday.

Medical helicopters were initially requested to be on standby.

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