Defiance man hurt in turnpike crash

10/18/2009

ARCHBOLD — A Defiance man was injured seriously Sunday morning when his tractor trailer hit a bridge pillar on the Ohio Turnpike, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

Norman Pontious, 52, was flown to the University of Toledo Medical Center, formerly the Medical College of Ohio Hospital, following the crash that occurred about 5 a.m., troopers at the highway patrol's Swanton post said.

A hospital spokesman had no information on a patient by his name.

Mr. Pontious was westbound on the turnpike when his vehicle went off the south side of the road into the median and struck a pillar to the Fulton County Road 22 overpass, troopers said.

He was extricated from the vehicle and flown to the hospital. The eastbound lanes of the turnpike were closed for more than an hour as authorities handled the incident.

Mr. Pontious's rig was hauling paper products from Pennsylvania to Illinois, troopers said.