Sunday morning on State Route 637 in Paulding County turned tragic when a collision claimed the life of a motorcyclist after a teenage driver swerved to avoid a turning SUV. The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Van Wert Post has confirmed the crash involved three vehicles and resulted in one fatality and two others spared from serious harm.
At around 11:41 a.m. on September 28, 2025, troopers responded to reports of a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of SR 637 and County Road 138 in Jackson Township. The investigating officers determined that 17-year-old Grady K. Barton of Oakwood was traveling northbound in a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, following a 2016 Toyota RAV4 driven by Marisela Soto Vazquez, age 31, of Paulding. As Vazquez slowed to make a left turn onto CR 138, Barton failed to maintain a safe following distance. In an instinctive move to avert a serious rear-end collision, he swerved left. His truck clipped Vazquez’s RAV4 and then crossed into the southbound lane.
At that very moment, Lance M. Bolenbaugh, 48, of Bryan was riding a 2012 Harley Davidson Street Glide 103 southbound on SR 637. Barton’s vehicle collided head-on with Bolenbaugh’s motorcycle. Bolenbaugh was declared dead at the scene.
Troopers say Barton walked away with minor injuries, while Vazquez escaped without injury. The response infrastructure mobilized swiftly—Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Paulding EMS, the Fire Department, Gideon’s Towing and Recovery, Hague’s Towing and Repair, and the County Coroner’s office all assisted on site.
Investigators have noted the sequence of events as a sharp warning to drivers: maintain distance, stay focused, and anticipate sudden stops. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reminded motorists not to drive distracted and to always preserve an assured clear distance – that buffer could make the difference between life and loss.
For the family of Bolenbaugh, the loss is sudden and profound. For the teenager, a near-fatal miscalculation. And for every driver on SR 637, the crash is a quiet but searing lesson — the space you leave ahead is never extra, and reaction time matters more than speed.
As troopers continue reconstructing the final moments and speaking with witnesses, the community waits for more details. Meanwhile, the road where this tragedy unfolded will carry a heavier burden, reminding everyone who passes through how fragile each moment behind the wheel really is.