DARKE COUNTY TRIPLE FATAL CRASH

On January 16, 2026 at approximately 7:21AM the Darke County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a vehicle fire and possible crash in the 2400 block of State Route 49. Arcanum Fire, Arcanum Rescue, Pitsburg Fire, Darke County Sheriff’s deputies and Arcanum Police Department responded to the scene. Initial arriving responders discovered a three vehicle crash with two vehicles fully engulfed in flames. City of Greenville Fire Department, Greenville Township EMS and Careflight were also called to the scene.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a full size cargo van pulling a trailer was traveling north on State Route 49 with two adult male occupants when it crossed the centerline and struck a southbound 2023 Chevrolet medical transport bus being operated by Chris Bemis, age 63 of St. Marys, OH. The bus contained one juvenile passenger and an aid, identified as Bonnie Behee, age 62 of New Madison, OH. After striking the bus the cargo van continued north hitting a 2013 Dodge sedan being operated by Kenadie Hensley, age 18 of Arcanum, OH. The cargo van and sedan both caught fire and Hensley was able to immediately escape her vehicle. The two male occupants in the cargo van were found deceased in the vehicle.

Behee and the juvenile passenger in the transport bus were removed, treated and transported to Wayne Healthcare by EMS with non-life threatening injuries. Chris Bemis, driver of the transport bus was trapped in the vehicle and had to be mechanically extricated from the bus by Fire/ Rescue. He was transported to Miami Valley Hospital by Careflight where he died from his injuries.

Hensley was treated at the scene by EMS and released.

The Darke County Coroner’s Office and Darke County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Crash Reconstruction team are actively investigating this crash. The identification of the two occupants of the cargo van are pending examination and testing by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

State Route 49 was closed for approximately 5 hours during the investigation.


Mark Whittaker
Darke County Sheriff
937-548-3399

Three killed in Darke County crash involving Spirit Medical transport bus on State Route 49

Three people were killed in a three vehicle crash involving a medical transport bus Friday morning in Darke County, according to Darke County Sheriff Mark Whittaker.

WHIO TV reports investigators say a cargo van was traveling north on State Route 49 when it crossed the center line and struck a Spirit Medical transport bus. After the initial impact, the van then hit a third vehicle.

Sheriff Whittaker said the cargo van and the other car caught fire and were engulfed in flames. Two men inside the van were unable to get out and were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Spirit Medical bus was flown to an area hospital, where they later died. Two other people from the bus were taken to a local hospital by medics.

Brian Hathaway, owner of Spirit Medical, told WHIO TV the bus was transporting a student with disabilities and the student’s aide to a local school district. The crash remains under investigation.

Spirit EMS Issues Statement Following Fatal Crash on State Route 49

ARCANUM — At approximately 7:25 a.m. today, a Spirit EMS transport bus traveling southbound on State Route 49 between the intersections of Pitsburg–Laura Road and Oakes Road was involved in a collision with a northbound lawn-care van that crossed the center line.

At the time of the crash, the Spirit EMS vehicle had three occupants: the driver, a bus aide employed by the Arcanum Local School District, and a 12-year-old student being transported from their home in the Tri-Village Local School District to Franklin Monroe Local Schools.

The Spirit EMS driver required mechanical extrication from the vehicle by Pitsburg and Arcanum fire personnel. The bus aide and the student sustained minor injuries and were transported to Wayne HealthCare in Greenville by Arcanum Community Rescue.

The Spirit EMS driver was airlifted from the scene by CareFlight and flown to Miami Valley Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Two other occupants of the lawn care van also died as a result of the crash.

An 18-year-old student driving a vehicle behind the Spirit EMS bus managed to self-extricate from her burning car, escaping serious injury. She was evaluated and treated at the scene and later released.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone involved in this terrible tragedy,” said Brian K. Hathaway, President/CEO of Spirit EMS. “We are devastated by the loss of our teammate and deeply saddened for the other families who are grieving today.”

Hathaway added that clergy have been brought to the Spirit EMS station to support employees as they mourn.

“In moments like this, we rely on one another,” he said. “Our team is strong, and we will walk through the loss of our teammate together.”

The name of the 63-year-old male Spirit EMS employee is being withheld pending notification of his immediate family.

The crash remains under investigation by the Darke County Sheriff’s Office. Spirit EMS officials are fully cooperating with deputies throughout the ongoing investigation.