2 killed, several injured in 3 crashes

Emergency crews investigate a fatal accident on Secor Road south of Laskey Road.

Emergency crews investigate a fatal accident on Secor Road south of Laskey Road.

Yesterday was a deadly day on Toledo roadways.

Two people were killed and several others were hurt seriously in three separate accidents - two in the early morning and the other about 12 hours later.

A woman was killed and a man and woman were hurt when a car and a pickup truck collided about 2:10 p.m. on Secor Road near Gracewood Road in West Toledo, police said.

Bettie J. Lichtie, 74, of 4143 Stannard Dr., was pronounced dead at the scene. She was a passenger in the car being driven by Lois A. Nowicki, 72, of 246 Sunnyside Dr.

Ms. Nowicki and the driver of the pickup truck, John C. Shock, 47, of 1030 Country View Place, were taken to Toledo Hospital. Ms. Nowicki was in critical condition, and Mr. Shock was in serious condition last night, a hospital spokesman said.

Firefi ghters remove a victim from a vehicle that was involved in a collision with a pickup on Secor. One person died and two were transported to Toledo Hospital in yesterday s accident.

Mr. Shock was heading north on Secor when he lost control, and his truck crossed the center line and hit Ms. Nowicki's car which was heading south, police said. Speed is not believed to be a factor in the crash.

But speed might have played a role in the two morning accidents in North Toledo, including a fatal crash at North Summit and Erie streets.

Thomas Herman, 19, of 325 Adrian St., was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which happened about 2:15 a.m. He and another passenger, Matthew Davis, 18, of 317 Albany St., were thrown from the back seat of the car. Mr. Davis was in critical condition last night at St. Vincent Mercy

Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said.

The driver, Michael Ibanez, 18, of 4818 Imperial Drive, was in fair condition at Toledo Hospital. The other two passengers, Brian Schwartz, 19, of Sylvania Township, and Lee A. Pasker, II, 22, of 428 New York Ave., were treated at Toledo Hospital, authorities said.

Their car was traveling north on Summit at a high rate of speed when it went airborne over railroad tracks. Mr. Ibanez lost control when the car landed, police said. The car went off the east side of the road, hit a wooden utility pole, went airborne again by going up a guy wire of another pole, shearing off the top of the pole, police said.

The rear door on the driver's side was ripped open, and Mr. Herman and Mr. Davis were thrown from the car, which stopped across Erie. A witness told police that the men, who are acquaintances, were traveling 90 mph, Sgt. Paul Kerschbaum said. Police said it began to rain prior to the accident.

A husband and wife were in critical condition last night at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center after they were hurt in a third accident, which occurred five minutes earlier on East Manhattan Boulevard, police said.

Michelle Lynn Mays, 34, and Kenneth L. Johnson, Jr., 31, both of 3529 Terrace Drive, were hurt when their sports utility vehicle slammed into a tree about 2:10 a.m. Ms. Mays was thrown from the SUV, and Mr. Johnson was partially ejected, police said.

The couple was heading home, eastbound on East Manhattan and rounding a curve, when the SUV began to slide sideways. The vehicle went off the north side of the road, slid about 100 feet through wet grass, hit the tree on the passenger side, and spun to an abrupt stop. Ms. Mays was thrown about 21 feet from the SUV while it was spinning, police said.

The accidents are under investigation.