February 24, 2001
Forty thousand pounds of lumber hit the road
By Ryan Good
Staff Writer
Forty thousand pounds of lumber were spilled after an accident Friday morning on a bad part of SR 53, south of Tiffin.
A semi was travelling north on SR 53 near TR 90 when the driver lost control and went into the ditch. The semi rolled on it's side and spilled a full load of lumber off of the flatbed trailer.
The driver managed to crawl out of the wreck. He was taken to Tiffin Mercy Hospital.
Traffic on SR 53 was closed while workers cleaned up the accident.
An electric pole was also knocked over in the accident. Parts of the pole were hanging from the wires, according to Dale Miller, who lives close to where the accident occurred. Power was off briefly at Miller's house.
"We heard a rumble and there it laid," Miller said, "I don't know how he went into the ditch."
Miller helped the driver into his house before paramedics arrived on the scene.
"He was pretty shaken up," Miller said.
A Port Clinton Police officer was behind the semi. The officer was on his way back from a meeting in Columbus, Miller said. He is unsure if it was the Police Officer who called in the accident. The Port Clinton police department wasn't aware of any officers calling in the accident.
This isn't the first time there has been an accident on that same part of the road.
Three weeks ago a panel truck rolled over in about the same spot. Last fall a car went off into a ditch close by. About five years ago a woman was killed when her car went off the road into a ditch. About six years ago a semi went off the road into a field, spilling the empty ketchup bottles it was carrying, according to Miller.
There are about two accidents a year on that part of SR 53.
"It's always on the same spot, the same area. There's got to be something in the road," Miller said, "we've been here 44 years and it's one accident after another. Somebody should check on that."
The lumber from the wreck will be bundled and taken to a lot. From there it is up to the insurance company and the trucking company to claim it, said Joe Keller of John's Welding and Towing, who cleaned up after the accident.
"We're trying to bundle the lumber in the right amounts," Keller said.
The load consisted of various lengths of 2x4 boards and sheets of plywood.