CRASH ON WEST RIVER & SECOND

Virginia Tippton said she was sleeping when she heard the crash just after 4 a.m. Sunday morning. “We were sleeping and all of a sudden there is this really loud crashing noise just outside of our house. When I got out here I could see the truck smashed up but all the power was out so it was hard to see much.”

Tippton said shortly after she stepped out onto her front porch she could hear a familiar voice coming from the area of the wreckage. “I recognized the voice right away, I knew it was my best friend and I could hear her crying.” Tippton’s husband was on the phone with 9-1-1 calling for help while she went to check on her friend.

The crash occurred on West River Road South at Second Street. The SUV was traveling northbound on West River at the time of the crash. There were no skid marks on the pavement leading up to the crash site.

Elyria Firefighters and LifeCare Paramedics responded and worked to extricate the driver of the SUV. Once out the paramedics loaded the driver, the only person in the car, into the ambulance and transported him to Elyria Memorial Hospital. The driver was then flown a short time later to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.

Tippton said that the driver of the SUV had just assaulted her friend and had taken her vehicle from her house. “She said that he had beat the hell out of her and she was calling the Police when he took off in her truck. That’s how he ended up here smashing into the pole.” Tippton, who lives two houses from the corner, said she was happy that her two daughters were spending the night away from home so they didn’t have to see the crash.

The Elyria Police is investigating the crash.

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