Thursday, September 21st, 2017
Minster man killed in crash
By Tom Stankard
VAN WERT COUNTY - A Minster man was killed on Wednesday morning when a semitrailer traveling behind him struck his vehicle, pushing it into the back of another semitrailer.
At about 10:45 a.m., Bret Helsel, 63, was driving a 2007 Toyota sedan behind a 2018 International semi driven by David Knight, 45, Industry, Pennsylvania, on U.S. 30, according to a release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Van Wert Post.
Both vehicles had reportedly slowed for traffic in a construction zone, when the third vehicle, a 2017 Freightliner semitrailer, driven by Vasilevich Dzmitry, 33, Hallandale, Florida, reportedly failed to maintain an assured, clear distance behind Helsel's vehicle and pushed it into Knight's truck.
Helsel reportedly was pronounced dead at the scene by the Van Wert County Coroner's Office. Dzmitry and Knight were not injured, according to the release.
The Van Wert Post was assisted on the scene by the Convoy Fire Department and EMS, Van Wert County Fire Department and EMS, Scott EMS, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Van Wert County Sheriff's Office, the release stated.
U.S. 30 was temporarily closed. The accident remains under investigation.
