Local rescue agencies found themselves responding to two accidents about 5 miles apart and within less than an hour of each other Tuesday evening.
Four people were injured in an accident at US 224 and SR 587 after a driver failed to yield at a stop sign, and three people were killed and three were injured when a driver ran a stop sign at CR 7 and TR 112, according to State Highway Patrol.
Personnel from Bascom, Fostoria and New Riegel EMS, Bascom Joint Fire District, the county's Echo unit, State Highway Patrol and the sheriff's office responded to both accidents.
The fatalities in the later accident, which occurred in Hopewell Township, included two children. It occurred the same day that a fire near Republic killed five people, including three children.
Chief Harry Miller of Bascom Joint Fire District said every call is different, and everybody deals with situations differently. When children are involved, he said, it is harder.
"Kids are the hardest of the whole entire job," he said.
Fact Box
How to help
Two activities are planned to help victims of Tuesday's tragedies.
Tiffany Ruffing, a stylist at Kay's Beauty Salon, 226 Washington St., Republic, is not going to charge customers for haircuts Friday and instead will accept donations for the family of victims of a fatal house fire near Republic.
She said she will start cutting hair at 8 a.m., and customers either can walk in or call her first at (567) 227-0666.
Jessica Wilkinson, a Tiffin native now living in Delta, is a consultant for Thirty-One products. She also serves as an emergency medical technician in Bascom.
She is to have a benefit 2-6 p.m. Sunday in the basement of Heidelberg University's University Hall. The open house is to enable people to place orders for Thirty-One products. Money raised is to be given to the families of those in the fatal house fire near Republic and the fatal car accident near Bascom.
- By Jill Gosche, online editor
Miller said counselors will approach rescue personnel or personnel can
contact them. Also, there are debriefing teams around the area, and local medical facilities have counselors rescuers can call upon, he said.
Help is available if rescue personnel need it, he said.
"We're human. ... We break down, too, and cry," he said.
Counselors were called in for first-responders to talk to this week. Miller said they were available Tuesday night and will be available again tonight.
