DRIVER IDENTIFIED IN FATAL CRASH

Grafton Township – The Ohio State Highway Patrol has released the name of the driver who was killed early this morning on Route 57 in Grafton as 49-year-old Donald E. Berg of Columbia Station.

According to the Patrol, Berg was north on Route 57 in Grafton Township when he went left of center and collided head on with a semi that was in the southbound lane.

Neighbors say that they heard what sounded like braking noises and then a loud crash. When they went outside they saw the wreckage in the middle of the roadway.

The driver of the semi, 35-year-old William T. Bennett of Louisville, Ohio, was able to get out of his cab on his own. Bennett and a neighbor were able to pull Berg from the front of the pickup truck as it was on fire. They carried him to a nearby field. The fire was too intense to try to get to Berg’s passenger.

Chief Bob Richards of the Grafton Township Fire Department said that his department received the call just after midnight of a crash on 57 near Highland. “When we arrived the pickup and semi cab were fully involved in fire. The driver of the pickup had already been removed from the truck and he was DOA at the scene and then after we had extinguished the fire we found a second victim inside – also DOA.”

Richards said that Firefighters treated Bennett at the scene for minor injuries but he refused any transport to the hospital.

The State Patrol is not releasing the name of the passenger until family notification has been made.

Firefighters also found a dog lying dead next to the crash site – they were not sure last night if the dog was inside of the truck at the time of the crash or not.

Route 57 was closed down for hours as a Reconstructionist from the State Patrol investigated the scene.


PHOTO GALLERY

TWO DEAD AFTER HEAD ON CRASH

DEVELOPING
Grafton Township – A late night collision between a semi and a Silverado pick up truck has left two people dead on Grafton Eastern Road.

Neighbors say they heard the crash at midnight and then saw the flames shooting from the collision.

The driver of the semi was able to get out of his cab and with the help of a neighbor they pulled one of the two people from the Silverado before the flames became too much.

Both occupants of the Silverado were pronounced dead at the scene.

A Reconstructionist from the Ohio State Highway Patrol is on the scene at this hour trying to piece the crash together.


Check back later today for more details and a complete photo gallery

RESCUE ATTEMPTS FAIL TO SAVE MAN

Elyria – Attempts to rescue 58 year old Frank Sabol were unsuccessful Wednesday morning but certainly not for a lack of trying according to witnesses.

Theresa Smith of Elyria was on her way to the Mall to do some shopping when she drove past 443 West River Road North and spotted the smoke coming from the house. “I saw that two men had also stopped and were running toward the house, so I pulled in the driveway to see if there was anything that I could do.”

Smith said that the two men were trying to gain entry through a side door that they had opened but the smoke and heat were too intense. “We both tried to go inside face first, and I know that is wrong to do – you teach your kids to get down low when there’s a fire – so I went down to my knees and tried to get into the house that way. I could hear him as I was yelling and he was yelling too – he was still alive.”

Smith said that she thought she could see his head through the smoke and believed that he was crawling towards the door. “Every time we would yell something to him he would respond back with like an “ok” or something, we couldn’t really make out what he was saying. Then there was a point where he just stopped saying anything – I think he was just too old and the smoke was just too much for him.”

The two men with Smith began breaking out windows with their shoes – Smith said it was then that the flames began shooting out the windows. “We were getting ready to make another attempt but that’s when the Fire Department showed up and made us get back.”

Smith said that although all three knew it was dangerous, they also knew it was something that had to be done. “We knew someone was in there, we could hear him. There was no way that we would just do nothing, we just couldn’t do that – not when it’s someone’s life.”

When Firefighters arrived they were told that the man was trapped inside of the burning home. Captain Joe Pronesti of the Elyria Fire Department said that the first Engine Company on scene entered the home to attempt a rescue. “We immediately attempted a rescue but I was getting conflicting reports as to where the victim was located in the house. I got two reports from people and we thought he might be at the front of the house and that would have given us a good shot at getting him out because all of the fire was in the back.”

Pronesti said that the fire and smoke were very intense on the Firefighters attempting the rescue. “The crew that went in did a great job – in fact they took so much heat that it damaged their turn out gear and SCBA’s to a point where it’s unusable. They were very lucky today but the equipment worked the way it was supposed to and the guys were able to get out safe.”

Low manpower hampered the rescue attempt Pronesti said, “We didn’t have enough manpower pulling up so I had to call for mutual aid. Because of the construction of the house the fire spread quickly so I couldn’t really commit anybody. We attempted a rescue but had to back out and basically had to wait for reinforcements to continue fighting the fire and to search for the victim.”

Pronesti spoke about the Good Samaritans who attempted to rescue the victim before Firefighters. “We run into this all the time where people want to help and that’s great – the problem is people don’t know fire behavior and what air and oxygen do to a fire and when you start indiscriminately breaking out windows sometimes the fire will grow. I’m certainly not saying what they did was wrong in trying to help – in fact earlier this year we had people helping at a house fire on Brandston Ave and when Firefighters got on scene there they were able to perform a successful rescue.”

Mutual Aid assistance was provided by Elyria Township, Sheffield Village Avon and Lorain at the scene. Carlisle Township Fire Department covered the city and responded on a chimney fire on Calann Drive. That ended up being a minor situation that Carlisle handled.

Pronesti praised the work from his own Firefighters and from the Mutual Aid Companies as well. “These guys did a great job today – especially in the conditions they were faced with in there. I also received help from Chief’s Jeff Young and Frank Root. Chief Young took command at the rear of the house and Chief Root was my Safety Officer. Having them on scene was invaluable and their help is always greatly appreciated. In today’s modern firefighting world, that is the way things should work and it did.”

Today’s fire was also the first large scale incident where Elyria Fire relied on Lorain County 9-1-1 as their Communications Center and Pronesti said that system worked the way it was supposed to as well. “We’ve obviously had a lot of small incidents with 9-1-1 since they took over the dispatching for our department back in October but this is the first big incident and they were great. I only had to ask for things once and it was done and there was a lot going on at this scene. They were perfect, they did an excellent job.”

A demolition team was called to the scene after it was determined that the structure was too unsound and Pronesti believed it was better to just bring it down. “Rather than having the guys going in there and getting beat up we’re going to just bring it down and then hit the hot spots.”

Two Firefighters received minor injuries to their hands while battling the blaze.

The call for the fire came in at 11:30 a.m. and it was called under control at 1:16 p.m. Ten Firefighters were on duty at the time of the call. Stations 1 & 3 responded.

Today’s fire was the third fatal fire in Elyria this year. According to Captain Pronesti, that is the highest in 10 years.



PHOTO GALLERY


Check back tomorrow for more photos from the demolition

FATAL HOUSE FIRE IN ELYRIA

DEVELOPING
Elyria – A morning fire that ripped through a West River Road North home has taken the life of an elderly Elyria man.

Firefighters were called to the home around 11:30 this morning after people driving by noticed smoke coming from the rear of the home.

While Firefighters were responding they were notified of multiple calls coming in about the fire – Elyria immediately requested Mutual Aid from surrounding communities to assist them.

Heavy fire was coming from the rear of the home as Firefighters arrived and smoke was pouring from windows and doors all around the house.

Neighbors and bystanders told Firefighters that the resident was still inside of the home. Firefighters quickly entered the home to perform a search for the man but were not in time to save him.

The man was pulled from the home about 15 minutes later and taken by LifeCare Paramedics.

Firefighters from Lorain, Sheffield Village, Avon and Elyria Township are assisting Elyria at the scene at this time.

Check back later today for more details and a complete PHOTO GALLERY

MAN ARRESTED FOR ABDUCTION

Elyria – Police arrested an Elyria man, Patrick L. Sears, for Domestic Violence and Abduction Sunday night after the man pulled a gun on his girlfriend.

Police were called to 430 Oakdale Circle at 9:45 p.m. Sunday night by a woman who said her live-in boyfriend pulled a gun on her and was refusing to let her leave. When Police arrived they surrounded the home and could see and hear the couple verbally arguing through a rear window.

Officers were able to get the female to let them in through the front door and they were able to quickly get Sears outside of the home and placed him in handcuffs.

The woman told Police that they had been arguing Sunday night and Sears went to the bedroom and pulled out a silver handgun and pointed it at her telling her that she was not going anywhere. The woman dialed the Police Department but was then disconnected. The woman said she remained inside of the home due to fear that Sears would kill her.

Once Police heard the story from the woman they arrested Sears for Domestic Violence (M1) and Abduction (F3). Sears told Police that he was mad and that he had his gun but he put it in his pocket then returned it to the bedroom closet. Police say that Sears was highly intoxicated and had difficulty in speaking and standing.

Police retrieved numerous weapons from the home including a Taurus 9mm revolver from the closet that the woman identified as the weapon he had pointed at her.

The woman told Police that this was the first time Sears had ever acted like this towards her and that she was scared he was going to kill her when he pointed the gun at her.


PHOTO GALLERY

CRASHING IN THE SNOW

Lorain – One of the many crashes that occurred during the recent snow fall was in Lorain on Pearl Ave near Sacred Heart Church late Sunday night.

Police say a woman was traveling south on Pearl Ave when she lost control of her 1998 Chevy Blazer on the snow covered road. The Blazer slide across the left side of the road and rolled over into a ditch coming to rest on its roof.

Rescue crews were first told the crash was at Pearl and North Ridge Road so Sheffield Township Fire Department was dispatched. Then it was discovered that the crash was further north on Pearl near Sacred Heart.

Firefighters from Lorain and Sheffield Township arrived on scene and found that all three occupants had crawled out of the Blazer on their own.

LifeCare Paramedics treated and transported two of the female occupants; one of them was pregnant and wanted to be evaluated as a precaution.

PHOTO GALLERY

The National Weather Service is calling for more snow tonight and then again on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Let’s be careful out there!

Tonight: Scattered snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 17. Breezy, with a northwest wind between 17 and 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tuesday: A chance of flurries before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 23. West wind between 14 and 16 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. West wind between 7 and 10 mph.

POLICE IMPROVISE IN RESCUE

POLICE, FIRE & MEDICS RESCUE 2

Lorain – Police say a woman was on a double date when she fell off a pier at the end of the old Pellet Terminal site in Lorain. Shortly after the woman went into the water the man she was with jumped in to try and help her – but the cold water was too much for him as well.

Police received the call shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday morning of two people in the water at Hot Waters. Officers quickly responded and found the two inside the water struggling to stay above the water line. The two were later identified as Krystal Reno of Oberlin and Michael Burns of Vermilion.

The Fire Department and the Coast Guard had already been dispatched but were still responding as Officers watched the two in the water. Police Officers, who had no actual water rescue equipment, knew they would have to improvise with the equipment they did have inside of their cars – or the two victims could go under at any moment.

Officers opened their trunks and began pulling equipment out – jumper cables, stop sticks and a dog noose.

Officers were able to get the dog noose around the arm of Reno and then pulled it tight inside her armpit – then held her above water.

Officers then dropped the jumper cables down to Burns and he wrapped them around his arms so they were able to keep him above water.

One of the victim’s friends was able to climb down to a ledge closer to the water and assisted in the rescue.

Captain Jeff Fenn of the Lorain Fire Department said that when Firefighters arrived they lowered a ladder down to the ledge below and then sent a Firefighter down. “The Firefighter was able to assist the male victim up the ladder with minimal assistance; he seemed to be in pretty good shape. The female victim was not able to assist at all so a harness was placed on her.”

Once the harness was on Reno Firefighters and Police Officers hoisted up the ladder to the pier.

Fenn said that with the water temperature being as cold as it was last night and the length of time the victims were in the water – time was certainly of the essence. “It was a great team effort and a great save by Police Officers, LifeCare Medics and our guys.”

LifeCare Paramedics treated both victims and transported them to Community Health Partners. The female victim was later flown to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.

PHOTO GALLERY

GOT SHOVELS?

UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for Lorain County – the Advisory will remain in effect until 6 a.m. Monday morning.

Snow will move across the area tonight – 3 inches of snow is expected with locally as much as 5 inches of snow. The snow will taper off during the pre-dawn hours.

****
If you haven’t yet, you might want to go find the shovels and dust them off by morning. We certainly won’t be getting dumped on like D.C. and others got hit with recently but the National Weather Service in Cleveland is forecasting 1 to 3 inches by morning with wind gusts tonight up to 28 MPH.

All I have to say it, it’s about time.

Late Afternoon: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tonight: Occasional snow, mainly between 7pm and midnight. Low around 25. West wind 5 to 8 mph increasing to between 14 and 17 mph. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Monday: Scattered snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 29. Breezy, with a west wind between 17 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

MAN & WOMAN PULLED FROM LAKE

POLICE & FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE TWO

DEVELOPING
Lorain – Two people had to be rescued from Lake Erie early Sunday morning after a woman fell in and then a friend jumped in to try to help her.

Story & PHOTO GALLERY later on TMC NEWS

POLE COMES CRASHING DOWN

Elyria – A strange early morning crash sent one woman to the hospital after a light pole crashed onto the car she was riding in.

Witnesses say that a woman driving a Ford Explorer north on Lorain Blvd near Lake Ave went off the right side of the road and brushed a light pole at the northeast corner. As the Explorer continued north the pole started giving way and came down on a LifeCare Transportation Ford Focus that was behind the Explorer.

The pole struck the passenger side door of the Focus shattering the window and damaging the frame of the door. Glass covered the woman who was riding in the passenger side of the Focus and she was shaken up but did not appear to be injured. As a precaution she was treated and transported by a LifeCare Ambulance. The driver of the Focus refused any treatment or transport at the scene.

The driver of the Explorer was not injured in the crash but was visibly shaken at the scene.

The Elyria Police Department is investigating the crash.

PHOTO GALLERY

CHRISTMAS CRASH INJURES 2

Sheffield Village – Two people were taken to the hospital Friday afternoon after a collision at Abbe Road and Colorado Ave in Sheffield Village.

Roman Santos of Lorain was heading home as he approached the intersection of Abbe & Colorado. “I was on Colorado in the right turn lane to go north on Abbe and she (driver of the black Chevy) was in the lane next to me. She completely ignored the blinking red light and went through the intersection and that’s when the silver SUV that was going north on Abbe t-boned her in the middle of the intersection.”

Santos said the Chevy spun around and crashed into a light pole at the northwest corner of the intersection. “We pulled over and got out to see if we could help. We saw that people were going to the SUV so we headed for the Chevy.”

When Santos and his friend reached the car they found a portion of the utility pole lying against the passenger side door. “The lady inside was injured and said she was really scared to stay inside the car so we moved the pole and helped her get out.”

Sheffield Lake and Avon Fire Departments assisted Sheffield Village Firefighters in treating and transporting both drivers.

Sheffield Village Police are investigating the crash.

PHOTO GALLERY

POWER GOES OUT IN DOWNTOWN

Elyria – Wires “slapping together” was the reason over 1,000 First Energy customers went without power for hours on Christmas.

The slapping took place in the area of East Ave and Second Street while our area experienced high winds.

A light pole was also brought down on East Ave near 4th Street. The pole fell onto a wire that crossed East Ave. Police blocked the intersection until First Energy Crews were able to pull the pole off the wires.

Crews from the City of Elyria Street Department placed portable stop signs throughout the downtown area where traffic lights went dark.

The power first went out at 12:30 and First Energy was able to start restoring power about 2 hours later.

No injuries were reported.


PHOTO GALLERY

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM…

WE ALL SCREAM FOR FREE ICE CREAM

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

Sheffield Village – Pasquale Petrucci, owner of Petrucci’s Ice Cream on North Abbe Road in Sheffield Village, certainly knows how to treat his customers at Christmas time. All day on Christmas Eve Petrucci was offering free ice cream to anyone that walked through his door.

Our own Brian Woods spotted the sign and thought this would be a great “feel good story” for the holidays. That or he wanted to score himself some free ice cream.

Petrucci said that offering the free ice cream day is his way of saying Thank You to his customers. “That’s what it’s all about, they treat me well and in return I must do the same. I truly appreciate their business and friendship so this is just a little something to say thank you.”

Petrucci now goes on vacation and says the store will be closed until February 10th.


PHOTO GALLERY

FIRE STRIKES LORAIN HOME

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

Lorain – A fire broke out in a Maple Road home Wednesday night around 8 p.m. – when Firefighters arrived they found heavy fire coming from the front windows.

The homeowner’s son, Doug Phillips, said he believes the fire started in one of the bedrooms but is not sure what caused the blaze. Phillips, who is a Firefighter with South Amherst, said that nobody was home at the time of the fire.

Firefighters had the fire extinguished within the hour but not before causing a water main break. The break was due to the cold weather and the quick turn on and off for the fire scene.

There were no injuries reported in the fire.


PHOTO GALLERY

BOUNCER STABBED IN ELYRIA

Elyria – A Bouncer was stabbed early Wednesday morning at an Elyria downtown bar.

Police responded to Benchwarmers Sports Bar & Grille on Lake Ave, next door to Uncle Vics, around bar closing time after receiving reports of a possible stabbing. While responding Police Dispatchers gave out a description of the suspect of as black male wearing a black shirt and jeans running south on Middle Ave near Ely Square. Police quickly swarmed the area and found Frederick Ferris who matched the description of the suspect and had blood around his eye.

Police had several witnesses to the assault go to where they had Ferris in custody – each one made a positive identification on him as the one who stabbed the bouncer.

LifeCare Paramedics and Firefighters treated 29 year old Brian Helke of Elyria for a stab wound to his chest and leg inside of the bar. Helke was then transported to Elyria Memorial Hospital where he was later flown to MetroHealth Medical Center.

Elyria Police Officer Rick Walker and his K9 Partner Stuka were able to locate the knife in the snow inside of Ely Square on the Broad Street side.

Police also discovered a shell casing and a clip inside of the bar. The gun itself was later located inside a sewer on Washington Ave. In order to retrieve the handgun Police had Mug’s Elyria Towing respond to the scene to lift the sewer grate. Once hoisted an Officer reached in and pulled the gun from the sewage.

Ferris was checked out by Paramedics but refused any treatment or transport.


PHOTO GALLERY

PRECINCT BY PRECINCT

Listed below are the results listed by Precinct. The first column is the Precinct followed by the number of registered voters for that precinct. The last three columns show the number of registered voters, Yes votes and then No votes.

ELYRIA CITY 1-A 812 79 89
ELYRIA CITY 1-B 910 123 134
ELYRIA CITY 1-C 1179 146 124
ELYRIA CITY 1-D 832 37 51
ELYRIA CITY 1-E 840 82 99
ELYRIA CITY 2-A 993 53 51
ELYRIA CITY 2-B 947 56 84
ELYRIA CITY 2-C 921 37 42
ELYRIA CITY 2-D 934 50 47
ELYRIA CITY 2-E 761 62 28
ELYRIA CITY 3-A 792 179 86
ELYRIA CITY 3-B 1309 150 125
ELYRIA CITY 3-C 791 190 87
ELYRIA CITY 3-D 873 239 75
ELYRIA CITY 3-E 620 90 55
ELYRIA CITY 3-F 1293 242 159
ELYRIA CITY 3-G 883 123 78
ELYRIA CITY 4-A 722 188 91
ELYRIA CITY 4-B 886 191 97
ELYRIA CITY 4-C 828 174 108
ELYRIA CITY 4-D 815 191 87
ELYRIA CITY 4-E 903 155 106
ELYRIA CITY 4-F 777 79 75
ELYRIA CITY 4-G 821 106 104
ELYRIA CITY 5-A 843 30 28
ELYRIA CITY 5-B 770 97 50
ELYRIA CITY 5-C 829 57 39
ELYRIA CITY 5-D 957 42 20
ELYRIA CITY 5-E 1020 61 46
ELYRIA CITY 6-A 871 101 94
ELYRIA CITY 6-B 713 49 52
ELYRIA CITY 6-C 1055 36 34
ELYRIA CITY 6-D 1012 67 56
ELYRIA CITY 6-E 1047 65 56
ELYRIA CITY 7-A 839 111 118
ELYRIA CITY 7-B 957 102 91
ELYRIA CITY 7-C 783 112 83
ELYRIA CITY 7-D 804 104 127
ELYRIA CITY 7-E 809 84 78
ELYRIA CITY 7-F 877 110 83
35628 4250 3137

ELECTION RESULTS

Shall William Grace continue as Mayor?

YES 4250
NO 3137

Precincts reporting 40 of 40

UPDATED 9:20 p.m.

LORAIN CHASE ENDS IN ELYRIA

Lorain – Five people were arrested early Tuesday morning after fleeing Police in Lorain.

Police were called to the 1900 block of East 33rd Street for a report of shots being fired. Police began searching the area for the suspect vehicle and found it at East 36th and Clinton.

When Officers attempted to pull the car over the driver took off with the Officers close behind.

The chase ended up going south on Grove into the city of Elyria. The driver of the van made a left turn onto Schadden Road and then drove into a field on the north side of the old American Fitness building. Officers surrounded the van and one by one pulled 5 people, 2 adults and 3 juveniles out and placed them into custody.

Police say that they found a handgun inside of the van and that charges are pending.

Officers and a K9 from Elyria and Troopers from the State Patrol assisted Lorain on Schadden Road.

PHOTO GALLERY

SHOOTING SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

Elyria – Elyria Police announced late Monday night that they have arrested 38-year-old Brady Phillips of Elyria in connection with the shooting on David Drive Sunday night.

Lieutenant Andy Eichenlaub of the Elyria Police Department said that during their initial investigation revealed three gunshot victims inside the apartment at 115 David Drive. Two of the victims were residents later identified as David McDonough and Michael Stump. The third victim was identified as 38-year-old Herminio Serrano of Lorain.

“The investigation has revealed that Serrano and Phillips entered 115 David Drive, apartment G, with the intent to commit armed robbery,” Eichenlaub said. “During the commission of the armed robbery and altercation took place between the suspects and the apartment residents occurred. There was a struggle over a handgun.”

During the struggle McDonough suffered a gunshot wound to his abdomen – he remains in MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland recovering from his injuries. McDonough’s roommate Michael Stump suffered a gunshot to his head and died Monday morning.

Serrano died at the scene of a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Brady Phillips fled the scene without injury.

Eichenlaub said that the investigation into the identity of those involved led Officers to Brady Phillips, the last known suspect. Phillips was arrested near his home on 2nd Street in Elyria.

Phillips has been charged with Murder (F1), Aggravated Robbery (F1), and Felonious Assault (F2). He is being held at the Lorain County Jail without bond pending arraignment in the Elyria Municipal Court.

Eichenlaub said that the investigation of the circumstances surrounding this incident continue with the identification and interview of witnesses and the examination of evidence.

ELYRIA, DON’T FORGET TO…

All regular polling locations will be open today from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. for the special election attempting to recall Elyria Mayor Bill Grace. Voters will be faced with only one question when they step inside the voting booth – “Shall William Grace continue as Mayor of Elyria?”

TMC NEWS will bring you the results as they come in later tonight.


Looking to find a place to watch the numbers come in later tonight?
If you want to join the Grace Camp they will be gathering at Smitty’s on East Bridge.
If you want to join the Recall camp they will be gathering at Basil’s Lounge on West Bridge.

SECOND MAN DIES AFTER SHOOTING

Elyria – A second man has died from gunshot injuries he suffered Sunday in his apartment on David Drive.

Michael Stump, 30 years old from Elyria, died Tuesday morning at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland after being shot in the head inside his apartment. His roommate, 31 year old David McDonough, remains in MetroHealth and is listed in critical condition with a gunshot wound to his stomach area.

Police are not releasing the identity of the man who was pronounced dead at the scene, only saying he was a 38 year old Hispanic male from Lorain. Police will release the name only after his family has been notified.

McDonough called 9-1-1 saying that two men broke into his apartment with guns and that he was shot in the stomach and he believed his roommate was dead.

Police are still looking for a man who was seen fleeing from the scene in a dark green conversion van. He was described as a black male, 5’8” tall, 220 to 230lbs and in his late 20’s.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Elyria Police Department at 440.323.3302 or 440.322.1926.

MAN FOUND DEAD IN AMHERST HOME

Amherst – A 52 year old Amherst man was found dead inside of his North Main Street home Monday afternoon when his mother grew concerned after not hearing from him for several days.

Lieutenant Joe Kucirek of the Amherst Police Department said that they received a call from the neighbor of 1139 North Main St, the home of Charles Longworth, age 52. The caller advised Police that he was summoned to 1139 North Main by the mother of the Mr. Longworth. “The mother had come to her son's home to check on his wellbeing because she had not heard from him for a few days. The caller stated he opened the front door of Mr. Longworth's residence and immediately noticed the room had been on fire at some point and suffered heavy fire and smoke damage. The caller also indicated there was a deceased body on the floor just inside the front door.”

When Officers arrived they noticed heavy fire and smoke damage to the front living room area of the home. Windows in the front of the residence were also charred and it appeared several were broken from the heat of the fire.

Amherst Fire and LifeCare Paramedics also responded to the scene and the area was sealed off by Police.

The Amherst Police Detective Bureau was contacted as was the Lorain County Coroner's Office and the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office to investigate further.

The Fire Department was requested to check for hot-spots on the exterior of the home with a Thermal Imager Camera and were unable to located any recent signs of a fire. Investigators are looking into when, where and how the fire was started. According to Police “there is no indication the fire was extinguished by human intervention.”

It was learned from family members that Mr. Longworth did have a medical condition which limited his ability to move about freely, but it is unknown if his medical condition was a factor in this incident.

At this time, the incident remains under investigation and no additional information is available until the coroner rules on the cause of death of Mr. Longworth.

LORAIN MAN DIES IN HOUSE FIRE

Lorain – One man is dead and two other homeless after an early morning fire on West 21st Street in Lorain.

Firefighters were called to the home of 65 year old Norman Fye at 1513 West 21st Street just after 2 a.m. Monday morning for a report of a house fire. Firefighters found heavy fire coming from the home.

Fye was found inside of the home on a couch after Firefighters forced their way through a security door at the back of the house. Fye was pulled from a couch in the home and brought to the back yard where LifeCare Paramedics took over patient care. Fye was then rushed to Community Health Partners Emergency Room where he was pronounced dead.

Two other adults lived in the home and were being assisted by the Lorain County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The Lorain Fire Department and State Fire Marshall’s Office are investigating the cause of the fire.


PHOTO GALLERY

THREE MEN SHOT – ONE DEAD

DEVELOPING
Elyria – Police responded to 115 David Drive Sunday night after receiving a 9-1-1 call of a man that had been shot in the stomach. While responding updates started coming in of possible multiple victims at the scene.

When Police arrived they had three men down, one shot in the head, one shot in the stomach and one dead.

9-1-1 informed Police that they first had a hang up call from the apartment and when they called back they were told that someone had been shot in a home invasion.

Dan Waldron lives in an apartment across the courtyard from where the shooting took place and said he heard the shots. “I was watching COPS on TV and all of a sudden I heard several POPS all right in a row coming from outside. Then just a couple seconds later someone opened our buildings main door and started yelling.”

Waldron said that one of the victims was his cousin who lives in the building across the courtyard from him. “We’re not close at all, even though we live this close. He is into stuff that I don’t agree with so we just stay clear of him. What happened here tonight comes as no surprise at all to any of us.”

Witnesses said that a suspect fled the scene in a green van. Tracks from the van could be seen in the snow going across the grass leaving the apartment area.

LifeCare Paramedics and Elyria Firefighters treated two victims at the scene and then transported them to Elyria Memorial Hospital. While on scene Paramedics requested two helicopters to meet them at the hospital.

One helicopter landed on the roof of the hospital and while that Medical Team assisted hospital staff two other helicopters landed at McKinley school next door. LifeCare shuttled the other Medical Teams to the ER to get their victims and returned them to the choppers.

One man is in critical condition while the other we have learned has gone through surgery and a full recovery looks good.


Check back later today for more information on this case. As soon as Police release the names and information we will bring it all to you.

PHOTO GALLERY

TWO LORAIN HOUSES BURNED

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

Lorain – When Firefighters rolled up on scene at 2108 East 28th Street just after 1 a.m. Sunday morning they found one vacant home fully involved and another burning as well.

Firefighters immediately went defensive in battling the fires and extinguished the blaze in just over 2 hours.

With no electric or gas hooked up in the structures Fire officials are listing the fires as suspicious.

A pile of debris can be seen in the photos in front of the burning structures left over from another suspicious fire in August. To see that story and photo gallery: CLICK HERE

There were no injuries reported.

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LORAIN COUNTY TOPS OVI LIST

Columbus – As Ohio motorists begin planning for the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holiday weekends, the Ohio State Highway Patrol released its “Top 10” Ohio Counties for OVI Stops made by State Troopers, and Felony OVI cases by State Troopers.

Lorain County made into both lists, coming in Number 5 on the Stops list and came in Number 1 for Felony OVI Cases made by the Patrol (Suspects with 4 or more convictions).

Top 10 Counties for OVI Stops
1 Franklin 3,080
2 Butler 1,992
3 Lucas 1,817
4 Stark 1,597
5 Lorain 1,591
6 Montgomery 1,442
7 Mahoning 1,207
8 Portage 1,205
9 Hamilton 1,139
10 Trumbull 1,089

Top 10 Counties for Felony OVI cases made by Patrol
1 Lorain 42
2 Belmont 22
3 Stark 22
4 Franklin 20
5 Scioto 20
6 Richland 17
7 Butler 16
8 Ross 16
9 Lawrence 14
10 Ashtabula 13

Through November of this year, state troopers have made 22,925 OVI arrests on Ohio’s roadways. Including all of last year and through Nov. 30, of this year, troopers also arrested and removed 594 impaired drivers with four or more OVI convictions.

CONGRATULATIONS SERGEANT BROCK

Columbus – Trooper Christopher M. Brock is the new assistant post commander at the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Van Wert Post following his promotion to the rank of sergeant today by Captain Kevin Teaford, Patrol interim superintendent. Sgt. Brock previously served at the Massillon District Headquarters since August of this year.

Sgt. Brock began his Patrol career after joining the 133rd Academy Class in February 1999. After earning his commission the following July, Sgt. Brock’s first assignment was at the Findlay Post, until moving to the Akron Post in March 2000. Sgt. Brock then transferred to the Elyria Post the following December, where he earned an Ace Award in January 2003 for excellence in auto larceny enforcement. After transferring to the Chardon Post in April 2006, Sgt. Brock returned to the Elyria Post in March 2008. He went to work at Massillon District Headquarters in August 2009.

Sgt. Brock also served in the U.S. Army. Originally from Cleveland, where he graduated from Collinwood High School in 1990, Sgt. Brock currently resides in South Euclid with his wife, Marta. They have three sons, Donte, Josiah, and Noah, and one daughter, Bethany.

FATAL CRASH AT W RIVER & 57

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

Elyria – One man is dead and another injured after a two car crash at the intersection of West River Road North and Route 57.

The crash occurred just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Officials say that the 65 year old driver of a Buick LeSabre was traveling south on West River near 57 and slowed down to stop in the left turn lane when a red Jeep Cherokee slammed into the back of his car. At impact both vehicles traveled across the intersection and came to rest on the sidewalk at the southeast corner.

The impact was so hard the front of the Jeep was buried into the back of the Buick.

LifeCare Paramedics and Elyria Firefighters responded and treated both victims. The driver of the Buick was pronounced dead while the driver of the Jeep was transported to Elyria Memorial Hospital. He was later flown to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.

Officials are not releasing the names of either victim at this time.

Although there have been problems with the new traffic patterns there have been no changes yet to the lights at West River and 57.

UPDATE: While the Police have yet to release the name of the driver of the Jeep Cherokee, they have released the name of the other driver as 65 year old Neil Jalowiec of Grafton. The crash remains under investigation.

UPDATE: Police have released the name of the driver who slammed into the Buick LeSabre as 23 year old Emelio Hernandez Perez of Elyria. No charges have been filed and the investigation continues.

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WOMAN SHOT ON 7th STREET

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

Elyria – Police found a woman that had been shot in the leg after receiving multiple calls of shots fired on 7th Street just after midnight Monday morning.

Police responded to the 200 block after residents called reporting shots fired in the area. As an Officer arrived on 7th Street he observed a person run into a home at 232 7th Street. The same man, later identified as Dexter Jordan then exited the house and advised that his “girl “had been shot.

Officers then entered the home and found a female who was later identified as Erica Armstrong, on the loveseat in the living room. Armstrong was bleeding from the upper thigh area of the right leg. Officers quickly requested an ambulance to the scene.

LifeCare Paramedics responded and treated Armstrong at the scene and then transported her to Elyria Memorial Hospital.

At the scene, a spent .45 shell casing was located on the ground right next to the loveseat. Police also report finding a toy set of handcuffs in the immediate area. Officers also collected a digital scale, a ½ full gallon freezer bag of marijuana from a second floor bedroom, and an open box of gallon zip lock freezer bags.

The Elyria Police Department Detective Bureau is currently the shooting.


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SHOOTING AT 1864 MIDDLE

GUARD FIRES SHOT AT CAR

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

Elyria – A Security Guard working the gate at 1864 Middle Ave feared that a car was going to strike him drew his gun and fired a shot at the car.

The Guard, Herbert Vandersommers, told Officers that just before 10 p.m. a green Ford Focus pulled into the main drive of 1864 Middle Ave and continued driving through the opened main gate. Officers learned the gate is inoperable and stuck in the open position. Vandersommers said he leaned out of the guard shack window yelling to the driver of the Ford Focus to stop, but the car continued driving into the complex.

Vandersommers said a few minutes later he walked into the complex and found the vehicle parked, unoccupied in front of “H” building. Vandersommers said he wrote down the vehicle’s registration and vehicle description and began walking back to the guard shack.

While walking back to the shack Vandersommers said he heard the sound of a car approaching him from behind, and when he turned to look, he observed the Ford Focus, occupied by a single black male. Vandersommers said he stepped to the side and began waving his arms at the vehicle for the driver to stop. Vandersommers said the vehicle accelerated and was driving directly at him. He again stepped to the side and the vehicle drove by him, almost sideswiping his body. Vandersommers said as the car passed him he drew his sidearm and fired a single round at the car, striking it in the left side of the trunk lid. Vandersommers said the car left the complex heading north on Middle Ave.

Officers recovered the casing from the fired round located on the main drive in front of “E” building.

A short time later an Officer spotted a car matching the description given out at the intersection of West Ave and Broad Street. The Officer pulled the car over and identified the driver as Claude Spence.

Officers said that Spence was observed not wearing his safety belt and found to be DUS. Spence said he loaned the vehicle out the previous night to a friend of “many” years, named “Sean”. Spence was unable to provide the last name of Sean or any other physical description other than he is a black male. Spence said he and his wife were recently evicted from their apartment on Tenth St. and were staying at the Journey Inn. Spence said the room is paid until the upcoming Wednesday and then they plan on moving into a house at the corner of West Ave. and Eleventh St. but was unable to provide an address.

Officers located a single bullet hole in the left side of the trunk lid.

Mr. Vandersommers was advised the Prosecutor’s office would review the incident.

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MAN DOZES OFF BEHIND THE WHEEL

DRIVES OFF ROAD – SHEARS POLE

Carlisle Township – One man was taken to the hospital early Saturday morning after he crashed his car on LaGrange Road near Fox’s Veterinary Clinic.

Trooper Dave Dylag of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said that Richard Hogan of Elyria was traveling north on LaGrange Road when he fell asleep at the wheel. “Mr. Hogan said that he had very little sleep before driving and believes he just dozed off while driving. We did test him for alcohol but test showed zero alcohol in his system.”

Danielle Schuster and Bryant Ross, both from Elyria, were behind Hogan when the crash occurred. “We could see his headlights,” Schuster said, “then all of a sudden they were gone. By the time we got up here he was in the front yard and the pole was hanging there bouncing.”

Ross said that while Schuster called 9-1-1 he ran to the car, not knowing what he might see and expecting the worse. “With a crash like that with the pole cut in half and hanging there I wasn’t sure what condition he would be in but by the time I got to his car he was getting out on his own. He was talking to us but there was blood all over his face and in the car and I saw a big hole in the windshield so I just kept telling him to relax and sit down that help was on the way.”

Shuster said she asked him if he had been drinking and he said no. “He just said that he fell asleep but didn’t remember anything beyond that.”

Trooper J.P. Toth of the State Patrol administered a BAC test in the back of the ambulance and it came up zero. Toth did say that Hogan would be charged with Failure to Control and Seat Belt.

Hogan was transported to Elyria Memorial Hospital with injuries to his head.


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TIGER TAKING “INDEFINITE BREAK”

Tiger Woods has announced through his website that he will be taking an “indefinite break” from Golf. In the statement Woods asks again for privacy and understanding.

Tiger Woods statement in full:
I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try.

I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.

AMHERST CRASH INJURES 2

Amherst – Two women were taken to the hospital after a head on collision in Amherst early Friday morning.

Witnesses say that one car was making a turn to go west onto Cooper Foster from Leavitt when another car traveling west on Cooper Foster collided with her head on.

Amherst Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to cut a passenger side door off of one of the cars to free a victim.

Although there were a total of five victims only two were transported to the hospital with the others refusing any treatment or transport.

The Amherst Police Department is investigating the crash.


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VANS COLLIDE ON POPLAR

MAN RECIEVES 6th OVI ARREST

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

Elyria – Not sure if 33 year old Andrew Karbler of Elyria is trying to break a record but he received his 6th OVI Tuesday morning when he ran a stop sign and crashed into another car.

Karbler was traveling north on Hawthorne when he ran the stop sign at Poplar and crashed his van into another van that was tarveling west on Poplar. Karbler continued north on Hawthorne after the crash and took out a street sign and brought doen a light pole before stopping.

Karbler failed a series of field sobriety tests and was arrested and charged with Felony OVI (F4), Stop Sign (MM).

The van Karbler struck was driven by a woman who had just dropped off 3 of her children at Elyria Community School but still had her 3 year old son in the van. Neither received any injuries.


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FIRE STRIKES HISTORIC HOME

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

Firefighters from 4 communities responded to the oldest home in North Ridgeville Thursday morning after a portion of a garage caught fire.

The home at 6050 Otten Road is the oldest home in the city. Fire officials say that nobody was home when the fire broke out and no injuries were reported.

Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials said the fire was contained to the attached garage that also houses a one-bedroom apartment.

Avon, Sheffield Village and Elyria Fire Departments assisted North Ridgeville Firefighters in battling the blaze in very frigid weather.


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STRONG WINDS HIT HARD

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS

The powerful winds that blew through Wednesday are now off to bother someone else – we will still have some windy conditions but not as strong.

Throughout the day the winds brought down power lines, trees and just about anything else that wasn’t tied down.

A utility pole on Lake Ave in front of Smart Motors near the Police Station blocked traffic until an employee of Smart plowed it off the road and onto the curb. After a quick clean up Police opened up the road to traffic.

Police left Lake Ave and headed to Weller Road off of Bell Ave for a tree that came down and was blocking the road. Crews from the Parks Department took care of clearing that tree and debris and had the roadway reopened within 2 hours.

Power outages affected more than 2,000 residents and businesses throughout Lorain County and still this morning is causing serious power problems at the Lorain Police Department. 9-1-1 calls to the Police Department are temporarily being routed to a seven-digit line until the problem is resolved.

The National Weather Service in Cleveland is forecasting a wet, windy and cold next couple of days.

Thursday: A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 23. Windy, with a west wind between 28 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Thursday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. Wind chill values as low as -4. Windy, with a west wind between 23 and 31 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28. Wind chill values as low as -4. Breezy, with a west wind between 20 and 24 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. Breezy, with a west wind between 18 and 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.

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TWO EARLY PRESENTS FOR CRUSHERS

Avon - Gifts came early for the Lake Erie Crushers this holiday season with the acquisition of two talented pitchers, rookie Michael Raymond and former Tampa Bay Rays farm hand, Travis Risser.

Risser began his professional career in 2007 with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League. The right-handed reliever appeared in 25 games for manager John Massarelli, now the Crushers’ field manager. Risser recorded an ERA of 1.09 and accumulated six saves in 49.2 innings. Risser's contract was bought out by the Tampa Bay Rays after the season. He started the 2008 season with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York Penn League, the Rays’ low “A” team, before being promoted to the high “A” Columbus Catfish. Combined, Risser appeared in 34 games in relief, posting a 3.14 ERA in 34 innings.

Michael Raymond joins the Crushers after an impressive collegiate career at Belmont Abbey College. As a senior, the right-handed pitcher made 13 starts, recorded one complete game and posted an ERA of 3.71 in 70.1 innings of work. He allowed only 29 earned runs and 25 walks, while striking out 53 batters. Raymond also played key roles in Belmont Abbeys highest national finish in school history, as well as the school’s first Division II College World Series appearance. Raymond and the Abbey finished third in the eight-team World Series, after being knocked off by eventual national champions Lynn. Raymond finished his college career on a high note, pitching 8 shutout innings and striking out a career hig h 13 batters.

According to Field Manager John Massarelli, “Travis will bring a bulldog type attitude to the mound that the Crusher fans will love. We’re going to put him into our rotation and let him eat up some innings. Risser and Raymond will add new blood to the pitching staff and should keep everyone on their toes during spring training.”

The Lake Erie Crushers, the 2009 Frontier League Champions, play ball at All Pro Freight Stadium, a 5,000 capacity stadium located in Avon, OH. Season tickets for the 2010 season are on sale now! For more information on tickets, promotions and team news, visit the team website at www.LakeErieCrushers.com or call 440-934-3636.