(8-25-24) The Ohio State Highway Patrol at the Van Wert Post weredispatched to County Road 177 west of County Road 171 in Brown Township, Paulding County around 1 a.m. Sunday morning. 

When officers arrived at the scene they found a Polaris RZR-XP1000 off the roadway and into a tree.

Both people inside the ATV were seriously injured, with medical helicopters flying Savannah Ridgway (24) of Convoy, Ohio to a Toledo hospital and flying the passenger Westen Phlipot (23) of Paulding, Ohio to a Fort Wayne hospital.

The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Oakwood Fire and EMS, Mercy Health Life Flight, ProMedica Life Flight, and John’s Towing assisted the Ohio State Highway Patrol on the scene.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash, and safety belts were not used.

The crash remains under investigation, and could lead to any potential charges.