Man seriously injured in two-vehicle accident

May 20—AUGLAIZE TOWNSHIP — A man suffered serious injuries after a two-vehicle crash closed state Route 117 for several hours and knocked out power Friday night, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Lima post.

At 11:06 p.m. Friday, troopers responded to the intersection of state Route 117 and Phillips Road.

They found Braden N. Schick, 43, of Lima, drove a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado southbound on Phillips Road. He entered the intersection and began making a right turn when his vehicle went into the opposite lane of travel.

That's when a 2007 Volvo semi tractor-trailer driven by Vladimir Zdravkovic, 36, of Winchester, Virginia, which was headed southeast on state Route 117, struck Schick's truck head-on. The impact pushed Schick's truck off the norhheast side of the intersection.

The semi-truck and trailer went off the right side of the roadway, down a ditch and into a utility pole. Power lines were knocked down and across the roadway.

Westminster EMS transported Schick to Lima Memorial Health System with serious injuries. He reportedly was not wearing a seat belt, and alcohol was a suspected factor, the OSHP reported.

Zdravkovic did not report an injury.

State Route 117 was closed for several hours as crews worked to remove power lines and vehicles from the scene.

Assisting on the scene were the Allen County Sheriff's Office, Mid-Ohio Energy, Westminster Fire and EMS, Wayne Township EMS, Minich Truck Repair, Kenny's Auto Towing and Miller Auto.

The crash remains under investigation by the highway patrol.