Man remains in critical condition following U.S. 6 accident

5/3/2010

BOWLING GREEN - A man was in critical condition early Monday after he was injured the day before in a three-vehicle collision on U.S. 6 in Wood County's Plain Township, four miles west of Bowling Green, along with six other people.

Charles Peoples, 51, of Bowling Green, who was previously misidentified in an Ohio Highway Patrol media release, was listed in critical condition at the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio.

Mr. Peoples was the driver of a minivan which was westbound on U.S. 6 west of Potter Road at 11:17 a.m. when it went left of center and collided with an oncoming sport utility vehicle operated by Donna M. Barlage, 68, of Leipsic, Ohio, troopers with the Bowling Green post of the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

The impact sent Ms. Barlage's vehicle off the south side of the highway.

Mr. Peoples' minivan then struck a second eastbound vehicle, a sedan driven by Allison R. Rife, 22, of Pemberville, Ohio, investigators said.

Mr. Peoples and Ms. Barlage were flown to the University of Toledo Medical Center.

A passenger in Ms. Barlage's SUV, Caroline Schmitz, 66, of Ottawa, Ohio, was taken to Wood County Hospital and was transferred to UTMC.

Ms. Barlage was in fair condition, but the condition of Ms. Schmitz was unavailable.

Ms. Rife and her three passengers, Brian Cancian, 22, of Bowling Green, Erica Lohr, 22, of Waterville, and Tomasz Rapacz, 22, of Bowling Green, were treated at Wood County Hospital, according to hospital officials.

The story as it appeared in earlier editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com:

BOWLING GREEN - Seven people were injured in a three-vehicle collision Sunday on U.S. 6 in Wood County's Plain Township, four miles west of Bowling Green.

A minivan driven by Charles R. Peebles, 64, of Wayne, Ohio, was westbound on U.S. 6 west of Potter Road at 11:17 a.m. when it went left of center and collided with an oncoming sport utility vehicle operated by Donna M. Barlage, 68, of Leipsic, Ohio, troopers with the Bowling Green post of the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

The impact sent Ms. Barlage's vehicle off the south side of the highway.

Mr. Peebles' minivan then struck a second eastbound vehicle, a sedan driven by Allison R. Rife, 22, of Pemberville, Ohio, investigators said.

Mr. Peebles and Ms. Barlage were flown to the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio.

A passenger in Ms. Barlage's SUV, Caroline Schmitz, 66, of Ottawa, Ohio, was taken to Wood County Hospital and was transferred to UTMC.

Ms. Barlage was in fair condition, but the conditions of Mr. Peebles and Ms. Schmitz were unavailable.

Ms. Rife and her three passengers, Brian Cancian, 22, of Bowling Green, Erica Lohr, 22, of Waterville, and Tomasz Rapacz, 22, of Bowling Green, were treated at Wood County Hospital, according to hospital officials.

The accident was under investigation.