MIDDLE RIDGE CRASH KILLS ONE

Amherst Township – A crash on Middle Ridge Road at the intersection of Oberlin Road claimed the life of one man and sent his passenger to Cleveland in critical condition.

Lieutenant Travis Hughes of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the crash occurred just after 1 p.m. Monday afternoon. “Mr. James W. Lacourse, 70 of Lorain, was stopped facing south on Oberlin Road. Mr. David Vaughn, 55 of South Amherst, was south-west bound on Middle Ridge Road. Mr. Lacourse attempted to turn left onto Middle Ridge when his vehicle was struck.”


The collision sent both vehicles off the south side of the roadway and into a front yard. Vaughn, who was driving a 2009 flat bed tow truck struck a tree and Lacourse, who was driving a 2001 Buick, continued and struck a house.


Vaughn’s wrecker sustained heavy frontend damage while Lacourse’s vehicle sustained “disabling damage” according to Hughes.

Amherst Firefighters and LifeCare Paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced Lacourse dead. Lacourse’s passenger, 49 year old Judith Ellis of Lorain, was trapped inside of the passenger side of the car. While Firefighters worked to extricate Ellis a landing zone was set up just down the street in an open field for Metro LifeFlight.


Once removed from the car Paramedics and a team from LifeFlight treated Ellis before flying her to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.


Vaughn was transported to Amherst Hospital with minor injuries and was released a short time later.


The crash remains under investigation by the State Patrol.


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