Accidents in region kill 3, hurt 4 others

8/22/2004

Two people died and two others were injured in a three-vehicle crash at a Webster Township intersection yesterday afternoon, the Ohio Highway Patrol reported.

Two others were hurt in a separate one-vehicle crash in Liberty Township, also reported by the highway patrol.

And on Navarre Avenue in Oregon, an unidentified woman died in a one-vehicle crash.

Killed in a 3:22 p.m. collision at State Rt. 199 and Sugar Ridge Road were Edward A. Norris, 47, of Neapolis and Amy Burkhart-Majeska, 44, of Portage.

Mrs. Burkhart-Majeska was eastbound on Sugar Ridge in a Dodge minivan when she failed to honor a stop sign at Route 199 and collided with a southbound Chevrolet sport utility vehicle driven by Mr. Norris, troopers from the patrol's Walbridge post said. The minivan then struck another minivan, operated by Scott A. Roller, 42, of Bowling Green, that was stopped while westbound on Sugar Ridge.

Sheree R. Norris, 46, and Katherine Majeska, 10, were injured in the crash. Both were flown to Toledo hospitals. Mrs. Norris was listed in fair condition last night at Medical College of Ohio Hospitals, while Miss Majeska was listed in serious condition at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center.

A Deshler couple were both injured in a crash on Mermill Road near Liberty Hi Road at 5:32 p.m. A westbound auto driven by Brian K. McNeilly, 42, went off the left side of the road and overturned in a ditch.

Troopers said Mr. McNeilly was flown to MCO Hospitals, where his condition was not available last night. His wife, Cindy J. McNeilly, 47, was flown to St. Vincent, where she was in fair condition.

Mr. McNeilly was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to control, troopers said, while Mrs. McNeilly was charged with wrongful entrustment. The latter charge results from Mrs. McNeilly's reported statement to troopers that her husband had been drinking continuously while the couple attended the National Tractor Pulling Championships yesterday in Bowling Green.

The crash in Oregon was reported shortly before 7 p.m. in the 4500 block of Navarre.

City police said a pickup truck swerved to avoid another vehicle and overturned. A woman inside, whom police would not specify as either the driver or a passenger, was ejected and the pickup rolled on top of her.

Further details were not available last night.