Area man dies when hit by phone lines

Staff and submitted information

PAULDING COUNTY — A Wauseon man was killed Wednesday in an accident involving two semi tractor-trailer rigs and downed telephone lines.

According to troopers from the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a 2019 International LT 625 semi driven by Timothy Ray Webber, 60, of Dayton, was southbound on U.S. 127 at approximately 11:20 a.m. Wednesday when the rig became entangled in downed telephone lines from another accident while attempting to turn right onto Paulding County Road 176 in Crane Township.

Vance Owen Campbell, 54, of Wauseon, saw the semi stopped and began to help remove the telephone lines from the semi when a 2020 Volvo VRN semi driven by John Richard Reber, 40, of Wauseon, also collided with the low-handing telephone lines, which then struck Campbell, who was standing on Webber’s trailer, killing him.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Paulding Fire & EMS, Paulding County Emergency Management Agency, Paulding County Coroner’s Office, the Ohio Department of Transportation, John’s Towing and Repair, AEP, and Windstream.

The crash remains under investigation.