SHADYSIDE — Authorities closed the north and southbound lanes of Ohio 7 late Wednesday in the wake of what a dispatcher termed a “very serious crash.”

An Ohio State Highway Patrol dispatcher confirmed shortly before 11 p.m. that a crash had occurred on the highway between Bellaire and Shadyside. She said the accident was reported at 10:22 p.m. and, to her knowledge, involved two vehicles. She said Ohio 7 was closed in both directions as a result but declined to provide more information, noting the incident was still under investigation.

Bellaire Police Chief Dick Flanagan could not be reached for comment by press time.