MERCER COUNTY, OH — The quiet rural community of Maria Stein is reeling after a tragic head-on collision claimed the life of 22-year-old Trent Pleiman and left Allison Bruggeman, 24, of Chickasaw, seriously injured

MERCER COUNTY, OH —The quiet rural community of Maria Stein is reeling after a devastating head-on collision claimed the life of 22-year-old Trent Pleiman and left 24-year-old Allison Bruggeman of Chickasaw seriously injured. The tragic crash occurred on a stretch of County Road 716-A in Marion Township 

during the early hours of Thursday morning, sending shockwaves through this tight-knit farming region in western Ohio.According to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, Pleiman was traveling southbound when his vehicle crossed the center line for reasons still under investigation, colliding head-on with Bruggeman’s northbound car. 

Emergency responders arrived quickly at the scene, but Pleiman was pronounced dead at the site due to the severity of his injuries. Bruggeman was extricated from her vehicle by first responders and transported by air ambulance to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, where she remains in critical condition.

Pleiman, a 2020 graduate of Marion Local High School, was remembered by friends and family as a hardworking, kindhearted young man with deep roots in the farming community. He had recently begun working full-time in agricultural operations and was well-known for his quiet strength, loyalty, and love for his family. The news of his sudden passing has left the Maria Stein community heartbroken.

Bruggeman, a graduate of Wright State University, is described by friends as outgoing, driven, and full of life. Community members have rallied around both families, holding prayer vigils and launching fundraising efforts to support Bruggeman’s recovery and the Pleiman family during this period of unimaginable grief.

The crash remains under investigation by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Authorities have not released further details about contributing factors and are awaiting toxicology results and additional crash reconstruction findings.