Lima, Ohio:
Two people were transported to a local hospital and an individual was taken into custody after fleeing the scene of a fiery three-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon on Elida Road.
At 4:16 p.m., an Ohio State Highway Patrol unit came upon a crash at the intersection of Elida Road and Cole Street. A Chevrolet Tahoe SUV crashed into a traffic light pole, with a Ford sedan and a Chevrolet sedan on either side of it, both vehicles also having sustained damage. The Tahoe was engulfed in flames.
The American Township Fire Department responded to the scene and quickly extinguished the flames. The Allen County Sheriff’s Office and the Lima Police Department also responded to the scene. According to the fire department, each of the sedans had a single occupant, both female, and both were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The identities of the two women were not disclosed.
According to the fire department, the driver of the Tahoe was not in the vehicle but had instead fled the scene. The Allen County Sheriff’s Office did say that the individual, who was not identified, is now in custody and that there is no danger to the public. The circumstances surrounding the driver’s apprehension, as well as the condition of the driver upon capture, were also not disclosed.
The crash also damaged the traffic signal at that intersection. A crew from the Ohio Department of Transportation was on the scene repairing the traffic light when firefighters left the scene at 6:45 p.m.
No details on what led up to the crash were released.
-Fire News photos by Richard Parrish
