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Portage County, Sno-hio: Man killed in crash with Streetsboro snow plow

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Mike Sever
February 7, 2010
Kevin Penny using a snow blower to help clean his neighbors driveway in Randolph.
Kevin Penny using a snow blower to help clean his neighbors driveway in Randolph.

 

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

Friday night’s heavy snowstorm that dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of Portage County contributed to the traffic death of a Geauga County man.

Streetsboro police said Shawn Wilkes, 21, of Newbury, was injured when the 2004 Dodge Neon he was driving west on S.R. 303 near Diagonal Road slid sideways into the front of a city snow plow at about 6 p.m.

Wilkes’ car had major damage on the driver’s side from the plow. Wilkes was taken to Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna. No air transport was available because of the severe weather, so Wilkes was later taken to Akron City Hospital by Streetsboro EMS where he died of his injuries.

The plow truck driver was not injured.

The accident is under investigation and no charges have been filed.

Snow started falling across Portage early Friday afternoon. It was the northern edge of a storm that swept across the southern part of Ohio and buried other Mid-Atlantic states. Locally, snow bans went into effect in Kent and Ravenna to allow street crews clear access to plow the way. Winds with gusts up to 25 mph pushed waist-high drifts across some roads.

Garrettsville had 16 inches of snow, a resident reported.

Few weather-related accidents were reported by police as most people stayed in and numerous Friday night and Saturday events were canceled.

Saturday classes at Kent State University’s main campus were canceled, as were the Gospel Sing at Brady Lake Baptist Church and the Gospel Fest at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent, among others.

The snow abated by mid-morning Saturday, allowing township and county plow crews to catch up and residents a chance to dig out.

In Randolph, snowmobilers used snowpacked New Milford Road to travel from field to field.

On Friday evening, Portage County Sheriff David Doak issued a Level 2 snow emergency, meaning roads were hazardous with blowing and drifting snow and only those who felt it necessary to drive should be out.

By Saturday evening, Garrettsville and Streetsboro police were reporting roads were clear and dry. In Kent, streets were called “a work in progress” and a snow parking ban was still in effect.

In Ravenna, road crews were still salting and plowing side streets as evening fell.

The Ohio Department of Transportation reported snowfalls of up to 17 inches across Ohio, and nearly 1,300 state snowplow and other vehicles out fighting the storm.

Crews everywhere were challenged to keep up with the high rate of snowfall — up to 2 inches per hour in eastern Ohio.

 




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   Next 10 Comments of 29 Total Comments
29.
    Posted by MASON1 February 14, 2010
it was an accident. do you honestly think it was done on purpose? iknow the snow plow guy. he is very devestated. just pray for both families. just thank god for letting us live.

28.
    Posted by disillusioned February 10, 2010
well said fubear.

27.
    Posted by Fubear February 9, 2010
I am disappointed in the Record-pub in the way they handled this article which was mostly about the weather and not the tragedy involved. Also the very heartless people whose only response was about the weather. Honestly - This is truly a devastating loss for the Wilkes Family. My heart just breaks them and the gentleman who was driving the snow plow. What has happen to our society... that we can not even stop for a moment... to so see the pain ... the Wilkes family, this gentlemen and all the people who where there to help Shawn Wilkes are going through. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your families. I pray that God will comfort each of you through these very difficult days ahead.

26.
    Posted by Peppermint February 9, 2010
@Dude...when they said "Southern Ohio" the newscasters said from Streetsboro and south. I live in Chardon and I wasn't overly concerned for our area (for once), but for Streetsboro and areas south of them...Kent, Rootstown, Ravenna, etc. A LARGE portion of Portage County.

I heard these newscasts throughout the day on the radio and tv.

25.
    Posted by Dude February 9, 2010
Read this:
http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4765510

"referring to the snowstorm that dumped 13 inches of the snow in Kent, about twice the amount forecasters had predicted"

24.
    Posted by Dude February 9, 2010
@E-Portage.Us
"It was predicted by RecordPub in the AccuWeather box"

Sounded like you were telling me it was on the main/front page of the RecordPub. Especially where you state, "It was predicted by RecordPub"


I'll explain to my snow plow buddies how they need to add up the forecast to get a total. I am sure they have no clue.

23.
    Posted by E-Portage.Us February 9, 2010
Dude, click on the link that says "Today" in the accu weather box and it will give you the detailed forecast.

Also remember when you look at on-line forcasts to look at today, overnight, and tomorrow and add them up. It can be a bit confusing as they tend to break the same snowfall up into segments, rather then totaling them into one snowfall.

Hope that helps. :)

Hope that helps.

22.
    Posted by Dude February 9, 2010
@E-Portage.Us,
the AccuWeather box doesn't show the amount of predicted snowfall. So how was it predicted there?

I watched Fox8 and Channel 19 late Friday night. Both predicted around 6 inches except southern Ohio.

I talked to many around the neighborhood while we were out shoveling Saturday morning. Also a couple of guys who had to be out in it plowing.(They watch the forecast very closely)
Not one of them heard or seen a weather report stating we were going to get much more than 6in. We got more than twice that, easily.

21.
    Posted by E-Portage.Us February 9, 2010
I must disagree with you "Dude". It was predicted by RecordPub in the AccuWeather box, as well as Fox 8, WEWS 5, E-Portage.Us and others.

While it is impossible to predict the exact amount of snowfall, most were within an inch or two. However all predicted that it would be significent.

This is NE Ohio after all, remember the saying: "Don't like the weather here? Wait an hour, it will change."

As a reporter myself who covers snow emergency related accidents, I'd like to remind everyone that it doesn't take 14 inches of snow to make for dangerous driving situations. Some of the worse accidents also happen with only 1 inch of snowfall.

The Courier and other news agencied work very hard to keep you informed. No one is perfect, we just try our very best.

On that note, there could be another 8 to 12 inches by Wednesday evening. Please be careful and if you dont have to get out and drive once roads start getting bad, please don't.

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone! Try to keep warm. :)

20.
    Posted by Dude February 8, 2010
hey disillusioned, get over it! Don't like it, don't post..
Sure it could of been avoided, when the roads where as bad as they were, stay off of them unless you absolutely have to be on them.
The street plows can't be everywhere at once and no matter what, there's always a bunch of babies crying that the street crews don't do a good enough job.
What does me losing a child have to do with any of this, you're an idiot. We are talking weather. That is what this article is mainly about, the weather.

Peppermint, northeast Ohio was expected to get up to 6 inches of snow. Everyone I know was shocked with the amount of snow received. It WAS NOT predicted in our area.

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