A pickup left Madison Avenue and struck a home late Friday, killing Emmet Sauers and leaving investigators working to determine why.
WOOSTER, Ohio — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a late-night crash in which a pickup truck left Madison Avenue and struck a Wooster home, killing 11-year-old Emmet Sauers, who was inside the residence.
Troopers from the patrol’s Wooster post were called to the area at about 11:50 p.m. Friday for a report of a serious-injury crash with entrapment. The patrol’s preliminary investigation found that a white 2007 Ford F-250 was traveling northwest on State Route 302, also known as Madison Avenue, when it went off the eastern edge of the roadway and hit the house.
The patrol identified the driver as Karas M. Wedge, 18, of Seville. Wedge suffered minor injuries and was taken to Wooster Community Hospital. Sauers, who was inside the home when the truck struck it, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released a finding on what caused the pickup to leave the road.
The crash brought several agencies to the scene. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Wooster Police Department, Wooster Township Fire and EMS, Wooster Fire and EMS and the Wayne County Coroner’s Office assisted the highway patrol. The Red Cross, American Electric Power and a towing company also responded.
A later account from Sauers’ family said the boy had been asleep in his room when the crash occurred. Cleveland 19 reported that the residence was left uninhabitable. A memorial was later placed in the front yard as neighbors and members of the community began mourning the fifth grader.
Neighbor Karlyn Harbeitner told Cleveland 19 that she was watching television when she heard the crash. She described hearing a screeching sound and later said she continued to replay the noise in her mind. Her account offered a glimpse of how suddenly the crash disrupted the residential area shortly before midnight.
Sauers attended Triway School. His obituary describes him as a fifth grader with wide-ranging interests that included music and technology. He played the trombone, listened to the Beatles and enjoyed records and vintage electronics. He also held an orange tip belt through the Ohio Academy of Martial Arts.
School communities in the area have expressed sympathy to Sauers’ family and the Triway community. Cleveland 19 reported that Northwestern Local Schools was among those publicly recognizing the loss, while community members were encouraged to wear purple in his honor.
Funeral arrangements call for visitation from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday at Wooster Nazarene, followed by a funeral service at 6 p.m. Interment is planned for a later date at West Salem Cemetery.
The highway patrol has said the crash remains under investigation. Its preliminary account did not state why the Ford left the roadway, and investigators have not publicly announced a final determination on the circumstances leading to the collision.
Author note: Last updated September 9, 2026.