The community of Aberdeen is mourning the heartbreaking loss of 45-year-old David Leonard, who passed away in a tragic single-vehicle crash on Saturday morning in Brown County. The incident occurred along the joint stretch of U.S. Route 62/68, just south of Hartman Road, in a quiet rural area surrounded by open fields and wooded hillsides.
Emergency responders were dispatched shortly after 8 a.m. following reports of a serious crash. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered David’s 1999 Ford Crown Victoria overturned in Redoak Creek, positioned roughly 30 feet below the roadway. Despite the prompt response of first responders, David had already passed away, and he was pronounced at the scene.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, David was traveling northbound when his vehicle drifted off the right side of the highway and entered a grassy median. The car then struck a guardrail, continued over an embankment, and rolled before coming to rest upside down in the creek below. No other vehicles were involved, and investigators have not yet determined what caused the initial drift from the roadway.
The crash remains under active investigation as authorities work to understand the events leading up to the accident. Standard procedures such as mechanical examinations and toxicology reviews will be part of the ongoing process.
David Leonard’s sudden passing has brought profound sorrow to his loved ones and the Aberdeen community. While personal details have not been publicly shared, those who knew him remember David as a kind and steady presence, someone whose loss is felt deeply and whose memory will continue to live on in the hearts of family and friends.
As investigators continue their work, the community honors the life of David Leonard, remembering a man who was taken far too soon and will never be forgotten.
