Cyclist hit by SUV, airlifted to Dayton

CELINA - A Coldwater woman riding an electric bicycle along State Route 118 was seriously injured on Wednesday morning when an SUV reportedly struck her from behind.

First responders were called to State Route 118, near Carthagena Road, at 8:42 a.m. Wednesday.

Donna Hemmelgarn, 60, Coldwater, was riding an electric bicycle southbound on State Route 118 when she was struck from behind by a southbound SUV driven by Linda Stout, 60, St. Henry, according to Mercer County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Doug Timmerman.

Stout reportedly was unaware she had struck anything and continued to her home, Timmerman said. When Stout returned to her residence, she noticed vehicle damage and called authorities to report she may have hit something, according to Timmerman.

Hemmelgarn was reportedly found in a ditch by a passerby, who then called first responders. Hemmelgarn was airlifted to a Dayton hospital for treatment.

Mercer County Sheriff's Office deputies were assisted at the scene by Southwest Mercer Fire District, Mercer County Sheriff's Office Crash Reconstruction Team and Mercer County Emergency Response Volunteers.

The crash remains under investigation.