LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — A semi-trailer traveling on U.S. 24 in Providence Township failed to stop when approaching an active accident scene Monday night and crashed into two police cruisers and a third vehicle.
Right before this accident took place, this reporter and WTOL photographer Eric Rerucha were in an Ohio State Highway Patrol cruiser en-route to an unrelated non-injury crash. That was when another vehicle crashed into the car they were in and broke one taillight.
“As we were pulling out to go to the semi, he struck the right rear quarter panel of the patrol car,” Sgt. Evan Slates, who was driving the cruiser, said.
Police were assisting in the incident and filling out an accident report when the semi came barreling down the highway. With the slick road conditions, there was no stopping.
“It could have been really bad. We were fortunate that everyone was out of the cars except for the semi driver, but he appears to be OK,” Slates said.
Nine counties in northwest Ohio have declared Level 1 snow emergency as the first snowfall of the season leaves behind about 4" of snow and frigid cold.
No one was hurt in either crash but police warned drivers to be careful on the roads.
Slates said nobody has been cited as the top priority was getting the roadway back open. However, he added that the semi driver will be ticketed once all is said and done.