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Deerfield memorial struck Pick-up truck crashes into Civil War monument

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Colin McEwen
March 24, 2009

 

 

 

By Colin McEwen

Record-Courier staff writer

DEERFIELD — A broken heap of stone and concrete rubble is all that is left of a Civil War monument in the middle of Deerfield Circle.

Just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday, the driver of a pick-up truck went through a stop sign while traveling eastbound on U.S. 224, then drove over the curb at Deerfield Circle and traveled an additional 40 feet before smashing into the historical marker, leaving it in ruins.

Lt. Michael Marucci of the Ravenna Post of the Ohio Highway Patrol said Ross Caldwell, 18, of Atwater, was the only occupant of the vehicle when troopers arrived. 

“(Caldwell) is saying he doesn’t recall what happened and that a friend left the scene on foot,” said Marucci, adding that charges have not been filed. 

Marucci said alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.

The monument, erected in 2002 at a cost of more than $65,000, was a replica of the original that stood in the same location for more than 100 years. The original monument was in poor condition after it had been struck several times by vehicles, and is now on display at the Portage County Museum.

This is the second Civil War monument in Portage County destroyed this month. A Civil War memorial in Atwater was destroyed March 5 when a vehicle crashed into it.

Deerfield Township Trustee Ed Dean said trustees will meet tonight to discuss the monument.

“Deerfield has a lot of history with its Civil War involvement,” he said.

After the obelisk was erected in 2002, a perimeter fence was placed around it for protection.

The fence was no match for the pick-up truck early Saturday morning.

The memorial, once towering more than 15 feet, is now broken into several large chunks. Yellow police tape ropes off the mounds of rubble.

“We’ve already received a lot of calls from the community,” Dean said. “People are pretty upset about it. This is something we’ll be talking about for the next few months until we get this resolved.”

In 1998, the gazebo in the Deerfield Circle was destroyed when a truck drove into it, after its driver suffered a fatal heart attack.

 

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E-mail: cmcewen@recordpub.com

Phone: (330) 298-1126

 

 

 




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 9 Total Comments
9.
    Posted by I have nothing better to do but to comment on RC w March 25, 2009
Free Ross!!!

8.
    Posted by craftydyanne March 25, 2009
To kmh008,
Read the article and Thank you for clearing up on how many DUI's he has and he's only 18yrs old.

7.
    Posted by kmh008 March 25, 2009
To craftydyanne,
Who said that he was drinking with his friends? I know this kid he has a drinking problem this is his second DUI. His friends have to babysit this kid when he is sober. I'm sorry to the folks in Deerfield.

6.
    Posted by jane doe 1 March 24, 2009
sorry to see the accident damage to the monument. I hope that any group that decides to restore the monument, posts a notice with the record courier so that community members can donate. Insurance settlements are quite often lacking in replacement amounts.

5.
    Posted by ROUDY_4 March 24, 2009
I have known the Deerfield Circle my entire life, having grown up around that area of Portage County. That monument wasn't in the middle of the street behind a stop sign...it was in the middle of a large, grassy circle with a pavilion and park benches. There is a 6 inch high berm all the way around said circle. I don't feel the township is at fault for erecting a monument there...I think maybe people should just not drive drunk.

4.
    Posted by CommunityGuy March 24, 2009
Drinking and driving is not a choice. Alcohol impairs your ability mentally and physically. So...if your under the influence how are you going to think rationally?

Now, drinking itself on the otherhand is a choice and if you can't handle you alcohol then you shouldn't drink. On one hand it's fortunate that no other persons were injured because of this man, but it's also a shame that all of these historic markers around the county are being destroyed.

3.
    Posted by smm6901 March 24, 2009
aside from not only this dui accident there are many other similar accidents that are not caused by alcohol, maybe townships should stop building things right in the center of a place where stop signs are in their paths. Hopefully though with this someone will get a nice lifes lesson on why you shouldn't drink and drive and not be let off so lightly.

2.
    Posted by craftydyanne March 24, 2009
Ross Caldwell

"Drunk driving is not an accident...

drunk driving is a CHOICE"

worst of all - the possibility that you could harm or kill someone who is an innocent bystander with your careless behavior.

To Ross Caldwell's FRIEND'S

SHAME ON YOU Don't ever let your friends drive drunk. Take their keys, have them stay the night, have them ride home with someone else, call a cab, or do whatever else is necessary - but don't let them drive!

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