An Ohio Highway Patrol trooper was injured today when his patrol car was struck by a drunken driver, officials said. The trooper's vehicle was rear-ended at 3:29 a.m., on U.S. Rt. 23 near the I-475 interchange in Sylvania Township, by Robert Fischer, 58, of East Lansing, Mich., who was driving in a lane closed for construction. The patrol car was parked, with its emergency lights on, to control traffic in a construction zone, according to a release from the patrol.
Mr. Fischer's vehicle spun into a different lane and stopped; the trooper, whose name is not being released but who is with the Toledo post, tried to provide Mr. Fischer with first aid, but Mr. Fischer was trapped inside his car, officials said. He was extricated by Sylvania Township firefighters.
Mr. Fischer and the trooper were taken to a local hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. Mr. Fischer, whose blood was drawn for a blood-alcohol concentration test, was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence and also cited for the crash.
Troopers said the crash remains under investigation.