A drunken, off-road joy ride led to three people sustaining serious injuries this weekend in Milan Township.
"These are not life-threatening injuries," said Chief Deputy Jared Oliver, of the Erie County Sheriff's Office.
The driver, Phillip M. Schaeffer, 23, of 11219 Thomas Road, Monroeville, was charged with driving under the influence. One of his two passengers, Joanna A. Michel, 18, of 8214 Southwest St., Bellevue, was charged with underage consumption.
Fisher-Titus Medical Center employees notified the sheriff's office about 12:30 a.m. Sunday after a man dropped off Michel with injuries related to a joy-riding incident. Deputies reported the victim's "right ear was 'mangled' and partially tore away from her head" and she also had "significant head injuries."
Shortly after deputies arrived, another occupant in the same pickup truck, Timothy Davlin, 22, of Bellevue, came to the hospital with "substantial facial injuries," according to the deputy's report.
Deputies determined Davlin and Michel were in the truck driven by Schaeffer, who reported wrecking in a field on his family's farm when he was "off-roading ... through the picked bean field and ran into a creek" due to the rain-related mud. Deputies further reported they smelled alcohol on Schaeffer's breath. The driver also had facial injuries.
Davlin was admitted overnight at Fisher-Titus to see "a nose doctor," Oliver said. A deputy's report says Davlin had large cuts above his right eye and on the bridge of his nose.
"He had some severe facial injuries that (had) to be examined the next morning," Oliver said.
Schaeffer and Michel have been released from the hospital.
During their investigation, deputies found two wreckers removing a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado from a steep ditch in the 2600 block of Strecker Road in Milan Township.
Oliver said more charges could be pending once deputies receive information from medical reports.
Comments
Driving drunk on your own family property? "Truck driven by Schaeffer, who reported wrecking in a field on his family's farm when he was "off-roading ... through the picked bean field and ran into a creek" due to the rain-related mud.
I can see the law against him in regards to the chick drinking (underage) which would be illegal perhaps, if proven he got her the booze. I don't really know where and when the d.u.i. laws begin and end. If he drove them tothe hospitals and was stopped at that time, ok. But his truck was being pulled out of the ditch so he didn't drive them with the truck he wrecked. So can I ride my bike in my driveway drunk? Can I ride a gocart in the field drunk. A four wheeler. Is a wreck on private property a ticketable offence? I backed into a chicks car at Aldis. No ticket...private property. Odd extention of the law if the paper has the story in whole.
My understanding of the law is that even if you are in your own driveway/property if you are in a vehicle drunk and the keys are in the vehicle, it would be a DUI. I was always told to put the keys under the car or on the roof if you are sleeping one off in your car.
If nothing else, they can charge him with the equivalent to a DUI, Reckless Operation on Private Property. Where there is property damage or injuries, that is pretty easy to make stick. If this truly was his own property and his truck, those might not be so easy, but with two people needing hospital treatment or more, that could be a slam-dunk. That carries two points, too, as does the DUI. BTW, that is the same offense they can use to get you for doing doughnuts in a parking lot that isn't your own, too.
Don't drink and mud.
I don't think so Scooter(love Ron White).
That DUI is 6 pts.
http://www.dmv.org/oh-ohio/point...
You are right. Reckless on private property is 2 points if charged under a muni code, 4 under the ORC. I think it USED to be 6 points under ORC. Sorry about that, and thanks for catching it! It's still stupid to be drunk and driving, even if on your own property, and even stupider to put others at risk.