Teen driver transported after Elyria rollover crash

ELYRIA — A teen driver was transported for medical evaluation after he lost control of his car and rolled it onto its side, knocking over a streetlight and fire hydrant in the process. Elyria police road Sgt. Aaron Varga said the driver, who he declined to name because he is a juvenile, tried to switch lanes while traveling south on Gateway Boulevard. When attempting the lane change, he lost control of his Chevy Malibu and fishtailed, going sideways off the road and striking the pole and hydrant. The car came to rest with the passenger side pointing up and the light post sitting on top of it. Some car parts were scattered around the scene, and the windshield wipers remained on during much of the cleanup. Varga said he believes wet road conditions contributed to the crash. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be a factor. Residents in the area of the crash said drivers often lose control in the 200 block of Gateway Boulevard. Megan McKinney, who lives next door to where the crash happened, said her kids know not to play too close to the road because of how often cars have driven over the curb. "Every morning, walking them to the bus stop, I'll try to go on the outside of them and keep them here on the inside," she said. "I'm constantly watching my back for cars." She heard the crash, but didn't know what was going on until one of her kids saw police officers outside. When she walked outside, she said she saw the crash victim "sitting up against the tree with his head bleeding a little bit." Another neighbor, Michelle Songer, pointed to a damaged fence where another driver recently drove through a yard. "We counted five this year alone. That just happened a few months ago," she said, pointing at the damaged fence. Varga said the teen driver is fortunate that his car rotated the direction it did, or else the crash could have been much more severe. "He's lucky," he said. "Maybe it would have been different if it was the driver's side, but he took it on the passenger side." Elyria Fire Department also responded to the scene. The driver's condition was not available. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com.