Man killed, 2 injured in crashes minute apart

6/30/2002

GIBSONBURG, Ohio — A local man was killed and two Fremont people hurt, one seriously, in two traffic accidents that occurred only a minute apart early yesterday on State Rt. 600 at Sandusky County Road 660 in Washington Township about 21/2 miles east of here, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

Brian Binder, 38, of Gibsonburg, the driver of a sport utility vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Eric Shondell, 21, the driver of a car, was pinned in the wreckage of his vehicle for a time, and was in critical condition last night in St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center. Mr. Shondell's passenger, Amanda Burns, 21, who also was trapped, was in fair condition there.

Sabahudin Velic, 30, of Phoenix, the driver of a tractor trailer, and his passenger, Fuad Beslija of Glendale, Ariz., were not hurt.

The semi, loaded with aluminum parts, was northbound on Road 660 attempting to turn west onto Route 600 about 12:50 a.m. when Mr. Binder's SUV, which was eastbound on Route 600, crashed into the trailer. The SUV went partially under the trailer and caught fire, troopers at the patrol's Fremont post said.

A minute later, Mr. Shondell's car, which was eastbound on Route 600, struck the trailer and the SUV, ending up partially under the trailer. Mr. Velic and Mr. Beslija had extinguished the fire before it could spread, troopers said.