(6-15-24) Ohio State Highway Patrol Officers were dispatched to a crash on State Route 49 in Edon at 10:15 p.m. Friday.

When officers arrived at the scene they found Thomas S. Patterson (65) had been driving a John Deere riding lawn mower southbound when he was rear-ended by a minivan driven by Gene M. Pahl. Patterson was ejected from the lawn mower and pronounced dead at the scene.

The John Deere mower was operating on the roadway without rear lights…but it is unclear what caused the crash.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.