Wednesday, May 30, 2007
By Malcolm Hall
Repository STAFF WRITER
An ambulance transporting a 4-year-old boy who was struck by a car Tuesday morning was itself hit by a car while en route to Aultman Hospital. Jack D. Reiss of the 11200 block of Peachlane Street SE was in stable condition Tuesday afternoon. He made the first leg of his journey in a Robertsville Fire Department ambulance. When that ambulance became involved in a two-vehicle crash in Canton Township, Jack was transferred to a Canton Township Fire Department ambulance for the final portion of his trip to Aultman.
The boy was struck on Route 30 in the Robertsville area by an eastbound Chevrolet S10 pickup truck driven by Thomas Green, 48, of the 100 block of Partridge Street in Apple Creek, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. “One of the witness reports (said) it appears the young boy ran across the street,” Lt. Eric Sheppard of the Highway Patrol said. “It appears as if the child didn’t look, just sort of darted in front of traffic.”
After covering about six miles of the journey to Canton, the Robertsville Fire Department ambulance transporting the youth collided with a Buick LeSabre at the Lincoln Street E and Trump Avenue intersection in Canton Township, troopers said. Troopers identified the driver of the Buick LaSabre as Arlie Mowery, 82, of the 6100 block Riverview Drive in Carroll County’s Brown Township. The Robertsville ambulance was driven by David Archer, 28, of the 1600 block of Robertsville Avenue SE in Paris Township.
“The two made impact with each other, but it wasn’t head-on,” Sheppard said. “There is going to be some debate as to who had the right of way.”
Mowery reportedly failed to stop after the crash. State troopers made contact with him later.
Canton Township Fire Department’s ambulance took the boy to the hospital from that point. “We did not want to disturb another accident scene,” Robertsville Fire Chief Eddie Bennett said. “The boy was in good condition in the back of our squad. They weren’t sure what damage was done to our ambulance.”
As of Tuesday evening, troopers had not charged Mowery with failure to stop after an accident. The investigation is continuing. “I know it was a hit-and-run,” Canton Township Fire Chief Scott McKibben said. “They (the Robertsville ambulance attendants) felt they needed to stay there. We took one of their paramedics and the patient, and took off.”
Reach Repository writer Malcolm Hall at (330) 580-8305 or e-mail: [email protected]