METRO DIGEST || Driver distracted, child passenger hospitalized

Child hospitalized

BEAVER

A 4-year-old child was taken to the hospital after a car traveling north on state Route 164 went off the road and into a swamp about 12:35 p.m. Saturday.

A spokeswoman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol post in Canfield said the driver, Milton Gonzalez, was cited for failure to control. According to a statement, Gonzalez was drinking a cup of coffee at the time.

Three other people were in the car, including two children, but were not injured.

Crash kills woman

youngstown

Police say a woman was killed after she lost control of her SUV on Interstate 680 and slammed into a concrete median about 7:30 a.m. Saturday. A spokesman said the woman was traveling south and lost control just past the South Avenue exit. He did not have the woman’s name. He said investigators are looking into the crash, but they could not be reached Saturday for more information.

Meet the new chief

WARREN

The public can meet Eric Merkel, Warren’s new police chief, at 5:30 p.m. Monday at First United Methodist Church, 309 N. Park Ave.

Passengers increase

VIENNA

The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport had 12,456 airline passengers in June, the largest number since June 1992, airport officials report. The airport is on pace to transport about 85,000 passengers in 2013, which would be an increase over the 77,500 in 2012.

Dan Dickten, director of aviation, says the increasing numbers are a result of passengers from Akron, Cleveland and Pittsburgh making the drive to the Vienna facility to take advantage of the low-cost direct Allegiant Air flights to Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Myrtle Beach.

There also was an increase in casino charter flights by Republic Airlines to Atlantic City, N.J., and Tunica and Gulfport, Miss.