The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for the elimination of manual cash toll booths following a deadly crash at an Ohio highway toll plaza that killed two people and seriously injured three others.

The crash happened on August 15, 2024, at the Interstate 80 toll plaza near Swanton, Ohio, west of Toledo. According to the NTSB’s final report, a Toyota SUV traveling through a high-speed toll lane suddenly slowed and moved toward lanes leading to the manual toll booths.

The SUV slowed to about 15 mph while a tractor-trailer was traveling at approximately 70 mph. The truck struck the rear of the SUV, sending both vehicles into a concrete barrier before they overturned.

Two passengers in the SUV were killed. Another passenger and both drivers suffered serious injuries. Investigators said the SUV driver was the only person in the vehicle wearing a seat belt.

The NTSB said the crash could have been avoided if the toll plaza had been configured for fully electronic tolling. The agency determined that the combination of high-speed traffic, slower toll lanes and last-minute lane changes created a significant safety risk.

Investigators also found that similar dangerous maneuvers were common at the toll plaza. Video footage reviewed by investigators showed more than 1,000 vehicles making comparable last-minute lane changes during the three weeks before the crash.

The NTSB said unsafe merging and weaving occurred more than twice an hour on average, indicating that the problem was not limited to the driver involved in the fatal collision.

According to investigators, the SUV driver was likely experiencing a loss of situational awareness related to fatigue. Meanwhile, the truck driver did not have enough time to react to the SUV’s sudden lane change and rapid reduction in speed.

The crash also triggered a traffic backup that led to two additional collisions involving at least eight vehicles.

In its recommendations, the NTSB called on the Federal Highway Administration, Ohio authorities and toll-road operators to move toward fully electronic tolling. The agency also urged authorities to provide clearer information about toll payment options so drivers can choose the appropriate lane without making sudden maneuvers.

The NTSB said removing slow-speed manual toll booths would reduce the need for vehicles to cross lanes at different speeds and could help prevent similar crashes in the future.

Source: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), final report published September 2026.