Two people injured in separate accidents

Friday, September 1, 2006

A Putnam County woman was hospitalized Friday night after she was thrown from her vehicle during a crash on the Greencastle/Monroe Township line road.

Police and fire officials who were at the scene said Amber Pollock, 25, of Van Bibber Lake Estates, was headed westbound on CR 200 North, two or three miles east of U.S. 231, when for an unknown reason her vehicle skidded out of control and landed in a row of trees.

Reserve Deputy Allen Bullington said there were skid marks, 500 feet in length, on the road that indicated Pollock had tried to stop. The vehicle apparently flipped over and became airborne, breaking several trees in half, and coming to rest on the side of the road.

"She was hurt pretty bad," Bainbridge Firefighter Mike Nesbitt told the BannerGraphic Friday night.

When police and fire personnel arrived at the scene around 6:30 p.m., Pollock was reportedly lying conscious against a guardrail.

"I think she might have been ejected because she was laying against the guardrail when we arrived," Nesbitt said.

Bullington said that a male passenger, identified as 24-year-old Jessie Barker of Roachdale, was also in the vehicle at the time of the crash, but his injuries did not appear to be as serious. Neither were wearing their seatbelt.

Both were taken to Putnam County Hospital for treatment.

Nesbitt said he was told at the scene that Pollock may have suffered several broken bones and had road burn and was experiencing pains in her chest area.

As of Friday night, Bullington was waiting to speak with hospital staff on the extent of Pollock's injuries.

In a separate car accident Friday night, two cars collided on U.S. 231 near Putnam County Hospital.

Bullington said that Michael Griffy, 21, of Frankfort, was traveling in one direction and that Eric Hostettler, 20, Shipshewana, was traveling in the other.

"By the skid marks, it looked like one of the cars crossed the center line," Bullington said.

At that point, the vehicles collided. The impact ripped the side completely off of Griffy's vehicle.

"I told Michael Griffy he was lucky to be alive," Bullington said. "The accident just destroyed the cars."

Bullington said Hostettler did not appear to be seriously injured, but Griffy was to undergo surgery on his arm.

The accident occurred around 5 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 231 and Medallion Drive.

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