MARTINSBURG — A St. Louisville female was found fatally shot and a Frazeysburg male shot and injured when rescue and law enforcement officers investigated a car crash south of Martinsburg, Friday at 10:27 p.m.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Rudy Zupanc at the Critical Information and Communication Center in Columbus said that Lilly Dawn Pressley-Claggett, 35, St. Louisville, was identified as the driver and was pronounced dead. The passenger is Jesse Bernard Collins, 30, Frazeysburg.
Dr. Brent Ogle of the Knox County Coroner’s Office, said Pressley-Claggett was shot in the upper right back, apparently by a large caliber weapon. A preliminary autopsy by the Licking County Coroner indicated the bullet went through both lungs and the aorta. Ogle said she bled to death very quickly. He said the shooting must have happened just seconds before the crash.
Collins was flown by MedFlight helicopter to The Ohio State University Medical Center where he remains in critical condition. The patrol said their investigation to this point appears to stem from a domestic dispute. A weapon was recovered at the scene.
Their information was that the car was northbound on Ohio 586 and crossed to the left side of the road, crashing into a tree.
The initial report of the crash came into the Knox County Sheriff’s Office 9-1-1 line at 10:27 p.m. The Bladensburg Fire Department answered the call, taking rescue and medic vehicles. Fire Capt. Dustin Baker said their were a number of people from the patrol, including a crime lab from Columbus. In addition to the patrol, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Licking County Sheriff’s Office were called.
The investigation is ongoing and Zupanc said they will release information when it becomes available.
Patrol investigators are requesting that anyone who may have additional information contact the Critical Information and Communication Center at 614-799-6633.
