Accident on State Rt. 2 sends 3 to local hospitals

8/1/2004

Two men were hurt seriously yesterday when the car in which they were riding struck two utility poles and rolled over on State Rt. 2 near North Curtice Road in Jerusalem Township. Route 2 was closed for several hours after the crash, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

Greg South of Luckey and Chris Hoffbauer of Oregon were in the back seat of a car driven by Harry Wise III, 21, of Oregon.

Mr. South was flown to Medical College of Ohio Hospitals, where he was in serious condition last night.

Mr. Hoffbauer was flown to Toledo Hospital, where he was in critical condition last night. Mr. Wise was treated at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center. A passenger in the front seat, Paul Brahoites of Oregon, was treated in St. Charles Mercy Hospital.

They were heading eastbound on Route 2 where the highway narrows from two lanes to one.

Mr. Wise was in the right lane trying to get ahead of a semi in the left lane.

He told troopers from the patrol s Walbridge post that when he turned his wheel left, he lost control of his Pontiac, which went left of center.

The car then went off the road to the right, hitting two utility poles, knocking one of them into the road, and then rolled over once.