(10-2-23) The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Deputies had a busy Saturday morning that involved utility poles and two hit-skip drivers.

Deputies investigated a motor vehicle crash that occurred on Convoy Heller Road in Harrison Township at around 1:30 am. Harrison Oechsle of Van Wer was southbound on Convoy Heller Road and left the right side of the roadway striking a utility pole. Oechsle was driving a 2003 Ford 250 and was issued a traffic citation for Leaving the Scene and Failure to Control.

At 5:24 am Deputies responded to a report of a motor vehicle crash on Dixon Cavett Road at Convoy Heller Road in Tully Township. A vehicle was located unattended in a field with heavy damage. It appeared the vehicle had been traveling westbound on Dixon Cavett Road and ran the stop sign at Convoy Heller. The vehicle then struck a road sign and drove into the field, and then back across Convoy Heller Road and came to rest in a ditch.

The damage to the vehicle was inconsistent with what took place at the scene. The owner of the vehicle denied any knowledge of the incident. The subject called the office later in the day and admitted to what had taken place.

The vehicle was earlier involved in an incident on Elm Sugar Road east of Convoy Heller Road where the vehicle had struck a utility pole, snapping the pole. Part of the vehicle door and a mirror were located at this scene. The vehicle was a 2007 Chevrolet 1500 driven by Aaron Teeter of Scott. The driver was issued a traffic citation for Failure to Control and Hit-Skip.