Pair accused of placing rocks on State Rt. 51

1/13/2004

FINDLAY — A Toledo man and a Northwood resident were charged by the Ohio Highway Patrol with placing rocks on State Rt. 51, causing a series of crashes between Nov. 13 and Jan. 4, the patrol said yesterday.

Michael Lambert, 43, Toledo, and Richard Kneer, 34, of Northwood were scheduled to appear today in Perrysburg Municipal Court on the charges, which carry a one year jail sentence and fine of up to $2,000.

The highway patrol post in Findlay said it and other agencies investigated a series of traffic crashes involving vehicles striking large rocks on State Rt. 51, setting up surveillance on Friday. Troopers said the two men were arrested after a suspicious vehicle driven by Mr. Kneer stopped along the highway and rolled a 98-pound rock onto the road.

The two suspects were being held in the Wood County jail. Authorities said other charges from related individual crashes were pending.