Two taken to hospital after crash

A Wellington woman was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland Thursday after she failed to stop at a stop sign on Pyle Road and was struck by another vehicle.

According to reports, June Pease, 80, of Wellington was southbound on Pyle Road when she failed to stop at the stop sign at West Lorain Street. She was struck by Jayne Murray of Oberlin, who was eastbound on West Lorain Street.

The impact forced Pease's 1999 Windstar minivan off the roadway, where it flipped onto its left side, knocking over a stop sign, before flipping back over onto its right side. Police captain Clif Barnes said a witness saw the accident and assisted firefighters and paramedics in extracting Pease from the vehicle.

"Because she was wearing her seat belt and shoulder harness, the shoulder harness was cutting across her neck and pushing on her trachea," Barnes said. "Lorna Gibson saw the accident, so she crawled in there and held Mrs. Pease's head while (patrol officers) Steve (Chapman) and Stephanie (Reitz) freed her."

Pease told police she was unfamiliar with the area and had become lost trying to find Route 58.

Firefighters and paramedics removed Pease from the vehicle through the back window after placing a cervical collar on her neck. She and Murray were both transported to Allen Community Hospital, but Pease was later taken to MetroHealth Medical Center by LifeFlight helicopter.

She was listed in good condition on Friday.