BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP — One person died and seven people were injured following a three-vehicle incident that sent one vehicle airborne Sunday evening east of Ottawa.
Thomas Sproles, 36, of Stryker, died at the scene of the accident on U.S. 224 in Putnam County, according to a press release from the Lima post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The incident took place at 7:47 p.m. Sunday. A 2011 Jeep Wrangler, driven by Bradley Cherry, 51, of Ottawa, traveled east on U.S. 224, waiting to make a left turn and yielding to an oncoming 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, driven westbound by Sproles.
A 2011 Ford Escape, driven by Jorge Villegas, 34, of Findlay, rapidly approached Cherry’s Jeep, swerved to the left and struck the Jeep in the left rear, according to the OSHP. Villegas’s Ford rolled through the air and struck the top of Sproles’ Chevrolet.
Villegas and his passenger, Selidonio Santiz-Perez, 22, were both flown by medical helicopter to St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo. Sproles’ passengers, Melissa Sproles, 35, and four juveniles were transported to Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay by ambulance.
Cherry and his two passengers, Jennifer Cherry, 49, and a juvenile, were not injured.
Alcohol was a factor in the crash, according to the OSHP. Villegas was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash. The crash remains under investigation.
Assisting on the scene were the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa Police Department, Putnam County Coroner’s Office, Putnam County EMA, Putnam County EMS, Ottawa Fire and EMS, Gilboa Fire Department, Columbus Grove EMS, Leipsic EMS, Pandora EMS, Continental EMS, Mercy Health Life Flight, Love-Heitmeyer Funeral Home and 419 Towing.
