(Police Reports - Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)

PARKERSBURG — A Washington County man died Thursday after a wrong-way collision outside Parkersburg.

Ishmael Smith, 84, of Little Hocking, was found dead at the scene of the crash around 2:47 p.m. Thursday at mile marker 6 in the eastbound lanes of Robert C. Byrd Highway, according to a post Friday on the Wood County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Smith was driving a 2022 Cadillac SUV when he entered the eastbound lanes of Robert C. Byrd Highway from Division Street, traveling west, the post said.

The Cadillac struck a 2016 Mercedes sedan driven by Cindy R. Lowden, 57, of Washington, W.Va., head on, it said. That vehicle was then rear-ended by a 2018 semi driven by Maato D. Ssebbowa, 40, of Fishers, Ind.

Lowden was taken to WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center with what the post described as non-life-threatening injuries. Ssebowa was not injured.

Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard said it was not clear why Smith was driving the wrong way.

Also responding to the scene were members of the Wood County Crash Team, Parkersburg Police and Fire departments, the Camden Clark and St. Joseph’s Ambulance services and the Wood County coroner.

It was the second death resulting from a local accident in two days.

On Wednesday, a 2021 Kia sedan driven by Davisville resident Richard Raymond Wons, 73, slid while turning right onto South Meadville Road from Staunton Turnpike and struck a stopped 2022 Freightliner, driven by Dustin Proctor, according to a sheriff’s office Facebook post.

Wons was taken from the scene to Camden Clark and later transferred to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. He passed away there Thursday due to injuries sustained in the wreck, the post said.

Proctor was not injured, Woodyard said.