Akron police say alcohol is the likely cause of a fatal crash early Tuesday morning.
The driver was identified as Michael Lloyd, 34, of Akron. An autopsy showed he died of severe head trauma, according to a spokesman with the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The crash happened about 1 a.m. when the driver of a 1994 Dodge Ram lost control of the vehicle while traveling at a high rate of speed on East Market Street near Kelly Avenue, police said.
The van went over a sidewalk on East Market, struck a light pole and went airborne about 70 feet, careening down an embankment onto Kelly Avenue.
Police said the driver was not wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected from the van. The driver died at the scene.
Police said alcohol “appears to be a factor in the accident,” but they did not elaborate. Toxicology tests for drugs or alcohol in the driver’s blood are expected to take several weeks.
