VWSO provides info on county accidents

VW independent/submitted information

Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas M. Riggenbach provided information Thursday on two accidents that occurred Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

The sheriff advised that deputies investigated an ATV crash in Pleasant Township early Thursday morning.  

Sheriff Riggenbach said his office received a 9-1-1 call at 2:59 a.m. Thursday, with the caller advising he and a friend were involved in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crash. The driver, James Mihm Sr., 44, of Van Wert, and Richard Smith, 52, also of Van Wert, were traveling east in a 2019 Polaris Rancher XP through a field when they struck a ditch.  

The crash resulted in Smith being ejected from the ATV. He was transported to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana, by Lutheran Air with suspected serious injuries. Mihm was apparently not injured.  

Sheriff Riggenbach said the crash remains under investigation, and charges could be filed at a later date.

Also assisting the Sheriff’s Office at the scene were Ohio City Fire and EMS and Van Wert EMS.

The sheriff also noted that deputies investigated a multiple-vehicle crash on Wednesday that occurred on U.S. 30, at the intersection of Payne Road, around 9:41 that morning.

The crash occurred when a 2014 Volvo semi-tractor and trailer driven east on U.S. 30 by Stanley E. Woods, 60, of Decatur, Georgia, turned north to travel on Payne Road.  Woods failed to yield the right of way to a 2016 White semi tractor-trailer rig driven west on U.S. 30 by Raymond C. Squires, 62, of Alliance. 

The semi being driven by Squires struck Woods’ semi in the passenger rear side of the trailer, and pushed it into a 2018 Freight vehicle driven by Andrew Leimer, 30, of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Freight vehicle was stopped in the southbound lane of Payne Road. The vehicle driven by Squires and Leimer were towed from the scene. 

The crash caused a portion of westbound U.S. 30 to be closed for almost 3 hours.

Squires was transported to Van Wert County Health by Van Wert EMS with suspected minor injuries. Leimer was transported to Van Wert Health by Convoy EMS with possible injuries, while Woods did not appear to be injured.

Woods was issued a citation for failure to yield the right of way and is scheduled to appear in Van Wert Municipal Court for arraignment on Tuesday January 22.Also assisting deputies at the scene were the Van Wert County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Hague Towing, Parker Towing, and 2A’s Auto.