SEMI AND PICK UP TRUCK COLLIDE

A crash involving a pick up truck and a semi in Brighton Township Sunday afternoon has left one man in critical condition.

Wellington Fire District Assistant Chief Mike Wetherbee said they received a call of a crash involving a pick up and a semi with the driver of the pick up being ejected. “When we received that information from 9-1-1 we immediately requested that Metro LifeFlight be put in the air.”

Trooper Case of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said that the pick up, driven by 43-year-old Kenneth Jaryga of Orange Village, was traveling northbound on Highway 511 while the semi, driven by Gary Archer of Olmsted Falls, was traveling eastbound on Route 18.

Trooper Case said that witnesses say that Jaryga did stop for his stop sign but then continued through the intersection with the semi bearing down on him. “The semi then crashed into the pick up truck pushing it eastbound on Route 18. Mr. Jaryga was ejected out of the rear window of the truck as they sliding down the road.”

Southern Lorain County Ambulance Paramedics treated Jaryga on the scene until Metro LifeFlight landed. Jaryga was flown to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland where he is in critical condition. Archer was checked out at the scene and although shaken up was not complaining of any injuries.

Witnesses at the scene said that a snowmobile that was in the bed of Jaryga’s truck flew from the truck during the collision, over two trees and landed about 100 feet from the crash.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will continue to investigate the crash. Jaryga will be charged with Failure to Yield with additional charges possible.

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