Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2025 - Capsule reports

Three-vehicle crash

More than $25,000 worth of damage resulted from a three-vehicle collision caused by a car parked on a U.S. highway.

According to a Jay County Sheriff’s Office report, Gregory A. Poling of Portland was driving his 2002 Chevrolet Silverado south on U.S. 27 near county road 700 South just after 3 a.m. Thursday. Poling told police that he did not see a vehicle parked in the roadway and his truck struck a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The report says that the Jeep was running but parked and did not have any lights on.

Following the initial collision, Poling’s truck slid sideways and struck the rear of a northbound 2018 Dodge Ram truck driven by Taylor A. Donnelly of Portland.

The Jeep, registered to Samantha B. Ward of Piketon, Ohio, was determined to be stolen. The sheriff’s office report says that Granvel A. Wamsley of Wellston, Ohio, who was in the Jeep at the time of the collision appeared to be in an altered state. Formal criminal charges are pending. 

The Jeep and Silverado both sustained heavy damage and were towed from the scene. The Ram is registered to Cooper Farms of Fort Recovery, Ohio.

Playground hit

A rural Portland teen was involved in a traffic incident Sunday that resulted in damage to playground equipment.

Nicholas J. Laux, 17, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Impala east on county road 400 North about 8 a.m. Sunday. He told police that he had slowed down to pass a buggy and was speeding back up when he lost control of the vehicle coming over a hill. According to a Jay County Sheriff’s Office report, the Impala went off the south side of the road and struck playground equipment at The Church at Westchester.

Damage was estimated between $2,500 and $5,000.

The Impala is registered to Lewis P. Laux of rural Portland.