CHAMPAIGN COUNTY — Two children were rescued from a burning vehicle, and a man was arrested after a crash in Champaign County on Friday night.
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Troopers and deputies with the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office responded to a crash that happened just before midnight on State Route 4 and Hawk Road, according to a spokesperson.
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When officers arrived on the scene, they found two infant children, a male and a female, trapped inside a burning car.
Two deputies immediately acted and were able to rescue the children from the car before the car became fully engulfed.
Both infants were transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The male child had to be airlifted to the hospital, while the female child was taken by EMS.
During the investigation, officers revealed that the vehicle was traveling southbound on SR 4 when it drifted off the right side of the roadway, hitting a utility pole and an embankment, and then caught on fire.
The driver, identified by deputies as Anthony Blankenship, sustained minor injuries.
Blankenship showed signs of alcohol consumption, according to the sheriff’s office.
The OSHP took Blankenship into custody for operating a vehicle impaired (OVI). He was booked into Tri-County Jail.
A dog that remained in the vehicle could not be rescued after the fire rapidly engulfed the interior.
Both deputies sustained minor smoke inhalation, and one deputy received a minor burn during the rescue.
SR 4 was closed for two hours during the investigation and for vehicle removal. The roadway has since reopened to traffic.
The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
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