Truck driver injured, cited for accident

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

DELPHOS — The westbound lanes of U.S. 30 were closed for nearly four hours early Tuesday morning about 4 miles west of Delphos as a result of a rear-end collision between two semi tractor-trailer rigs at the intersection with Bockey Road.

According to the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Department, a 2008 Freightliner operated by Stephen B. Cosby, 39, of Philadelphia, Pa., was parked along the right shoulder of U.S. 30 shortly before 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when a 2005 Volvo semi driven west on Route 30 by Piotr R. Trojanowski, 43, of Des Plaines, Ill.,, slammed into the rear of Cosby’s trailer.

The force of the collision trapped Trojanowski in the cab of his truck until a wrecker from Knippen Chrysler in Delphos arrived to pull the two rigs apart so Delphos Fire & Rescue personnel could free the trucker from his wrecked vehicle.

Cosby was unhurt in the accident, but Trojanowski had a number of injuries, none apparently life-threatening, and was taken to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima by a Delphos EMS squad. He was treated and apparently released later on Tuesday.

Trojanowski was also cited by the sheriff’s department for failure to control a motor vehicle as a result of the crash.

The westbound lanes of U.S. 30 were closed until debris, including between 70 and 100 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled from Cosby’s semi, could be cleaned up. Traffic was able to resume in both westbound lanes about 8:13 Tuesday morning.