Snow-covered sign leads to Lima woman's death

3/25/2008

WAPAKONETA, Ohio - The stop sign on Buckland-Holden Road at State Rt. 501 in Auglaize County's Duchouquet Township was covered with snow Sunday and because of that an 87-year-old Lima, Ohio woman is dead, authorities said.

Vivian E. Adams died at St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, after the car in which she was a passenger entered the intersection without stopping and was struck on the passenger side by a minivan.

The recent snow completely covered the stop sign at the intersection, troopers at the Ohio Highway Patrol's Wapakoneta post said.

Ms. Adams was riding in a car driven by Arnold D. Farley, 65, of Lima, which was struck by the minivan northbound on Route 501 driven by William J. Hoelscher, 65, of Lima.

Mr. Farley and his other passenger, Beverly Farley, 63, of Lima, and Mr. Hoelscher's passengers, Ella L. Hoelscher, 61, of Lima, and Minnie Boss, 55, of Sidney, Ohio, were treated at St. Rita's.