Tuesday, January 25th, 2022
Vehicle crashes into airplane hangar
By William Kincaid
Submitted Photo
A sport utility vehicle slid off State Route 219 Sunday and struck an airplane hanger at Lakefield Airport. The driver reportedly was not injured.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP - A driver on Sunday afternoon reportedly lost control of a sport utility vehicle and ended up striking an airplane hangar at Lakefield Airport at 6177 State Route 219, Celina.
The driver reportedly did not suffer injuries but the hangar was badly damaged, leaving two antique airplanes under restoration trapped inside, an airport official said Monday.
"The problem is we can't get to them, can't get them out. We're afraid the building might fall down on top of them," airport manager Steve Shinabery said.
Travis D. Ahrens, 37, Coldwater, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer westbound on State Route 219 when he lost control of his vehicle on the snow-covered road. The Trailblazer spun out of control, travelled off the south side of the roadway and struck the hangar at 1:36 p.m. Sunday, according to a Mercer County Sheriff's Office crash report.
The report noted the crash resulted in property damage only. Ahrens, who was wearing a seatbelt, reportedly was cited for failure to control.
Shinabery said the hangar struck by Ahrens' vehicle is one of the original hangars dating back to the 60s. He said he assumes it's a total loss but isn't sure at this point.
The hangar houses two antique planes.
"One is completely in parts but it's all there, and the other plane is probably about 80 percent ready to fly," he said.
Officials are trying to contact a structural engineer to see if the building can be braced up to remove the planes safely, Shinabery said.
"The south wall that faces the runway, the wall's buckling and the roof where the door collapses (is) bowing clear at the top of that, too," he added.
Lakefield Airport Authority Board President Gary Lefeld said the fate of the hangar remains up the air.
"We're just trying to wait to see what happens with the driver's insurance and that kind of thing," he said.
The hangar doesn't appear to be in very good condition, he said.
"It's really going to be dangerous to go in there, from what I can tell," he said.
The airport is owned by the Mercer County government and governed by a nine-member airport authority board appointed by county commissioners.
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