MAUMEE, Ohio — John Meeker, 76, died Wednesday after a fight in early November at Side Cut Metropark in Maumee. According to an autopsy report, he sustained blunt head trauma that included a skull fracture and injuries to the brain.
Some park visitors are concerned about safety after the incident, which is still under investigation by the Maumee Police Division and Metroparks Toledo rangers.
John Zachel has been visiting the park on River Road for over 60 years and said the violence at a normally peaceful location is worrisome.
You go shopping in a grocery store, you bang into someone's cart and they want to shoot you," he said. "It's a crazy world."
Kay Octaviano, who has been visiting the park for almost 25 years, is also considering extra caution.
"Maybe carry some mace," she said. "Take note of when you get out of your car, what's around your car who may be lingering around and look over your shoulder every once in a while, especially if you have earbuds in like I did because normally, I don't think like that. This is a place of peace and solitude and just to kind of be with nature and your thoughts."
Park visitors that WTOL 11 spoke with said they look forward to learning more about what happened but plan to continue their normal routines at Side Cut.
Metroparks Toledo provided the following statement to WTOL 11:
An altercation between two men occurred at Side Cut Metropark on Saturday, November 4, about 1:45 p.m. near the Silver Lake Area. One of the men, John Meeker, 76, was hospitalized with serious injuries sustained in the incident. This morning, the Lucas County coroner notified Metroparks that Mr. Meeker had died.
Detectives from the Metroparks Ranger Department and the Maumee Police Department are conducting a joint investigation, and are asking anyone with information to contact Maumee Detective Rutledge at crutledge@maumee.org or 419-897-7033.
Metroparks extends its deepest condolences to Mr. Meeker’s family, and urges anyone with information that might be of help in the investigation to come forward.