July 01--A farm tractor hauling 20 people in a hay wagon skidded down a slick and muddy Findlay hill Saturday evening and jackknifed, spilling the occupants and trapping a person under the carriage.
The accident occurred shortly before 6:30 p.m. during a 60th wedding anniversary party on the Winter Trail Drive farm owned by several members of the McMichael family.
"The tractor was trying to go down a hill, then the hay wagon started sliding, pushing the tractor," said Findlay Township police Sgt. Don Sedlacek.
Hampered by long and bumpy drives along rutted paths, Findlay police and firefighters from two companies toiled for three hours to find the accident, free the pinned person and then treat the injured.
Ambulances from several emergency medical services sped six people to area hospitals, and relatives transported two more, Findlay officials said.
The most serious wound was a leg laceration. All but three people had been released from the hospitals by Sunday afternoon, officials said.
"The good thing is that there were no severe injuries. It was a long rescue but a successful one," said Imperial Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bob Bradburn.
The North Fayette Township Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the crash.
McMichael family members said that initial media reports about the accident were overblown. They declined to comment further.
Carl Prine is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7826 or [email protected].
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