MARTINSBURG, Ohio -- A 5-year-old Amish girl remained in critical condition Tuesday evening after the buggy in which she was riding was involved in a crash with a tanker.
NBC 4’s Mike Bowersock reported with the FAST FACTS.
The crash happened on state Route 62 at Deal Road at about 9:10 a.m.
A horse-drawn buggy was traveling northbound on S.R. 62 with three Amish girls inside. The girls’ ages are 17, 14 and 5.
Joseph A Scarano, 46, of Woodland, TX, was driving a tanker with a load of plastic northbound on S.R. 62.
Scarano was passing the buggy when the buggy turned left in front of him, a report said.
The 5-year-old was ejected from the buggy and was trapped under the tanker.
"By the time I got here the girl was still underneath the truck," Bladensburg Fire Chief Nick Cockrell said.
EMS technicians worked to extricate the child for about 45 minutes.
She was transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital by medical helicopter. The girl remained in critical condition at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The 17-year-old and 14-year-old both received minor injuries.
Scarano was not injured.
The Ohio Highway Patrol said the buggy did not have the reflective placard on the back, as required by law. There was no indication the placard would have made a difference in the crash.
Motor-vehicle-versus-horse-drawn-buggy crashes have been on the rise in recent years.
There have been 99 crashes so far this year. Before today’s incident, there had been 46 injuries in the same type of crash during 2009.
In north Central Ohio there is a constant potential for an unintended and unplanned meeting.
"It's hilly and curvy around here. So you don't see ’em. They're coming around the curves at night time, and they'll just be there," said Amish Country resident Evelyn Butler.
S.R. 62 was closed at Deal Road during the initial crash investigation.
The Mt. Gilead post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol continued to investigate.
OSP and NBC 4 initially reported there were three vehicles involved in the crash. Initial reports indicated the child was 8 years old. A report from OSP received later in the day confirmed she is 5 years old.
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