2 bicyclists injured after being struck in Seneca County

9/12/2009

Two area teenagers are in critical condition after being struck by a car Friday night while riding their bicycles along County Road 62 in Seneca County.

Shane Tobin, 18, of Toledo, and Brett Hensinger, 17, of Bellevue, were riding eastbound along the roadway in Thompson Township at about 9:15 p.m. when they were hit by a car traveling the same direction, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.

Troopers said that the vehicle's operator, Coleman Flanigan, 28, of Norwalk, failed to maintain an assured clear distance from the teens' bikes. Mr. Flanigan then fled the scene in his 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix, the patrol said.

Mr. Tobin and Mr. Hensinger were transported to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo with serious injuries.

Acting on a tip from the Norwalk Police Department, state troopers from the Fremont and Norwalk posts located and seized Mr. Flanigan's vehicle at his residence.

The state patrol said it referred the case to the Seneca County prosecutor's office for possible charges against Mr. Flanigan.