Mercy Flight takes 2 from car accident in Ridgeway
Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – Two people were seriously injured in a one-car accident this afternoon on Horan Road in Ridgeway.
The car left the road and the back end crashed into a tree. The driver of the vehicle was pinned and it took firefighters and Lyons Collision more than an hour to free the driver, who was then taken by Medina ambulance to a Mercy Flight landing zone.
Firefighters work to free the driver from the wreckage.
The accident occurred at about 4:48 p.m. The passenger was also seriously injured and taken by Mercy Flight soon after the accident. The driver was freed from the wreck at about 6:20 p.m. Many long-time firefighters said it was one of the most difficult extrications they’ve done.
The car was wrapped around a tree and the dashboard had moved forward against the driver’s legs, making it difficult to release him.
The driver remained conscious during the rescue effort, and gave his grandmother a thumbs up that he was doing OK while a crew of about 40 people tried to get him out. Firefighters said his vital signs were good at the scene.
Authorities haven’t released the names of the driver or the passenger.
The accident occurred on a section of Horan Road, north of the village line where there are many bends and dips in the road.
The neighbor with the tree in her yard called 9-1-1 after hearing the crash. When she went out to her front yard, she said she started praying for the people inside.
“This is a nasty hill,” said the neighbor, who asked not to be identified. “The sound was something I never want to hear again.”
Another neighbor a few houses north said there are frequent accidents on the road. He would like to see a lower speed limit clearly marked north of the village line. He said people drive 55 miles per hour or faster, when the top speed should be closer 35 mph.
The road also doesn’t have shoulders and there are no center line markings.
The car left the road and its tire marks could be seen in the one neighbor’s front yard and driveway before hitting the tree.
Ridgeway, Shelby, Medina and Lyndonville firefighters all responded to the scene, along with Medina Police Department, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Mercy Flight and Lyons Collision.
