Friday, March 26, 2010
By Elise Franco
efranco@vindy.com
Boardman
An 88-year-old man was cited for failure to maintain reasonable control after crashing his sport-utility vehicle into a transformer pole, causing a power outage in the township.
Boardman Sgt. John Allsopp said George J. Mank pulled into Taylor Kia of Boardman about 6:30 a.m. Thursday. Mank became confused after realizing he was at the dealership instead of a health club across town, which is where he thought he was headed.
Allsopp said a patrolman driving North on Market Street witnessed Mank pull out of the dealership, cross over Market Street and enter the driveway of Cambridge Square Apartments. Mank then crashed his 2002 Kia Sportage into a utility pole, causing a transformer to explode and the power to go out, the patrolman said.
Many homes and businesses, including surrounding car dealerships, lost power. Area schools were put on a two-hour delay due to the outage, Allsopp said.
Power was restored within two hours, he said.
“A very confused, disoriented Mr. Mank lost control of his car,” Allsopp said.
Allsopp said when the patrolman saw the vehicle pull into the locked dealership, he initially thought someone was trying to steal a car.
“We’ve had some car thefts in the past, and the officer believed he was observing a theft in progress,” Allsopp said. “Then he sees the vehicle cut across five lanes of traffic, into a pole and end up in a sewer culvert.”
Mank was cited for failure to maintain reasonable control.
Allsopp said Mank also will be evaluated by a doctor and tested by the Ohio State Highway Patrol to determine whether he is capable of driving.
Allsopp said Mank was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Boardman and was treated for minor cuts and bruises.
No one else was injured.
“We are so fortunate,” Allsopp said. “He could have hit another vehicle or our officer who was coming up the road.”