Damaged road leads to investigation in Fowler, Ohio

FOWLER TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKBN) – Several sections of road in Fowler Township are damaged and need to be repaired after police believe a farmer dragged his plow for nearly two miles along them.

The Trumbull County Engineer’s Office was notified of the damaged roads on Saturday afternoon.

“The Fowler Police Department was on the scene and determined that the road was too dangerous for traffic, so they asked us to come and close the road,” said Tom Klejka, Trumbull County highway superintendent.

As a result, the section of Bradley Brownlee Road that was most severely damaged was closed. In total, about three kilometers of county and municipal roads were damaged.

It is not yet known who caused the damage, but Klejka believes it was an accident. He said something like this has happened before. A report has been filed with the police.

“I think it was just a mechanical failure or something like that. This kind of thing happens from time to time,” Klejka said. “We haven’t heard from anyone that caused the damage, so we’re not sure. That’s why we’re waiting for the police report to find out.”

Once they have found out who caused the damage and met with their insurance company,
They will start repairing the roads.

“There may be a few areas where a complete resurfacing is needed, but otherwise it may be enough to just chip and seal the grooves that are cut into the sidewalk,” Klejka said.

According to Klejka, the cost of repairs could be as high as $50,000. The road needs to be repaired relatively quickly to avoid further damage during the winter.

The road closure was put in place because the damage poses a danger to motorcycles.