VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP — Two people left a two-vehicle accident scene via Life Flight in northern Putnam County on Thursday afternoon, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Lima post. Three others were also injured.
At 5:11 p.m. Thursday, troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of township Road D and county Road 2.
A 2008 Mazda 3, operated by Maurice Schroeder, 72, of Leipsic, traveled westbound on township Road D approaching county Road 2 and failed to yield at the stop sign, according to the patrol.
A southbound 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, driven by Tahlor Kreinbrink, 25, of Deshler, struck Schroeder’s Mazda. After impact, Schroeder’s vehicle went off the left side of the road and struck a utility pole, while Kreinbrink’s vehicle went off the right side of the road and struck a traffic sign post.
Schroeder was transported to St. Vincent Hospital in Toledo for potentially life-threatening injuries. A separate Life Flight crew transported one of Kreinbrink’s passengers, Storm Roberts, 30, of Deshler, to Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Putnam County EMS transported Kreinbrink and two juvenile passengers to St. Rita’s in Lima with non-life-threatening injuries.
Alcohol and drugs aren’t suspected as factors in the crash. Schroeder reportedly wasn’t wearing a seat belt. All occupants in Kreinbrink’s vehicle wore seat belts, and both juvenile children were secured in child safety seats.
Assisting at the scene were the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Leipsic Fire and EMS, Henry County EMS, McComb EMS, Ottawa Fire Department, 419 Towing and Recovery and Dab Towing and Recovery.
