Woman killed in Defiance County crash

Ohio State Highway Patrol information

The Defiance Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is currently investigating a fatal traffic crash that occurred Sunday afternoon at the intersection of Steinmaier and Harris roads in Defiance County.

According to investigating troopers, a 2004 Chevrolet Impala driven by Micayla Fitzsimmons, 22, of Defiance, was driving east on Steinmaier Road when Fitzsimmons failed to yield the right of way from a stop sign and her car was hit in the passenger side by a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban driven by Johnny Burdine Jr., 49, of New Bavaria.

Both vehicles slid off the northeast side of the intersection, with the Fitzsimmons car coming to rest on its top and the Burdine vehicle ending up on her side.

Paula Cooper, 75, of Defiance, a passenger in the Burdine vehicle, was thrown from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Defiance County Coroner’s Office. Other passengers in the Burdine vehicle, including Harliey Miller, 18; Johnny Burdine III, 12; and Jennifer Burdine, age unavailable, all of New Bavaria, along with the driver, were all transported to a Toledo hospital.

Seat belts were not in use by any of the occupants of the Burdine vehicle.

Fitzsimmons and her passenger, Kailyn Ordway, 3 months old, were both taken to Defiance Mercy Hospital for treatment. A seatbelt and child safety seat were in use in the Fitzsimmons vehicle.

Conditions of those involved was not available at the time of the Patrol release.

Assisting at the scene were the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office, Highland Township Fire Department and EMS, Richland Township Fire Department and EMS, Holgate EMS, Pro-Medica LifeFlight, St. Vincent’s Life-Flight, the Defiance County Prosecutor’s Office and Defiance County Highway Department.