The Ohio State Highway Patrol's Sandusky Post is investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash in Ottawa County that killed a Clay Township police officer on Friday morning, October 16. At approximately 6:37 a.m., Sergeant Jacob Roesler, 26, was travelling southbound on State Route 51 in a Ford Explorer cruiser with emergency overhead lights activated while responding to a crash, the Patrol said.
As the cruiser entered the intersection of State Route 51 and State Route 795 near Millbury, it was struck by a Chevrolet Tahoe operated by Ryan Blankenship, 41, of Perrysburg. Both vehicles travelled off the southeast corner of the roadway — the cruiser struck a metal pole and the Tahoe struck a telephone pole. Roesler was pronounced deceased at the scene. Blankenship was taken by ground ambulance to ProMedica Bay Park Hospital with minor injuries.
Three years of service
Roesler had served with the Clay Township Police Department for three years. “Sergeant Roesler served with the Clay Township Police Department for three years with honor and a deep commitment to protecting and serving others,” the department said in a news release reported by Officer.com. “He was a dedicated public servant who made a lasting impact on our department and the community he swore to protect.”
Source: Officer.com / WTOL-TV — Clay Township Police Sgt. Jacob Roesler Killed in Ohio Cruiser Crash
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Roesler “served the Clay Township community honorably and with an unwavering dedication” and called his death “a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers that law enforcement officers face every day when they report for duty,” according to the reports.
Source: Police1 / WJW — Ohio officer killed in crash while responding to call (Oct 19)
The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Clay Township Police Department, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, the Ohio Department of Transportation, Elmore Village and Genoa police, the Allen-Clay Joint Fire District, FirstEnergy's Toledo Edison and the Ottawa County Coroner's Office. The crash remains under investigation, and no charges have been announced in the reports.