Published: October 06, 2009 11:46 pm         

Police release information in fatal Sunday crash

TERRE HAUTE — A Terre Haute woman died following a Sunday afternoon crash on U.S. 41 at Johnson Drive that also injured a motorist.

Elizabeth Guriel, 84, suffered internal injuries in the 12:14 p.m. crash, and died at Regional Hospital after being extricated from a car by Honey Creek firefighters.

Deputy Steve Meng of the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department reported that Guriel was a front-seat passenger in a 1981 Lincoln Mark VI driven by Henry Ozok, 83, of Terre Haute.

In a report made available Tuesday, Meng said that Ozok was crossing U.S. 41 at Johnson Drive to enter the Walgreens lot when he stopped for traffic in the median crossover. Ozok told police he saw two southbound vehicles approaching and waited for one to pass, but he tried to cross before the second vehicle passed.

That second vehicle, a 1999 Ford Windstar driven by Stephanie L. Ridge, 32, of Farmersburg, collided with the passenger side of Ozok’s car.

Ridge, who was not injured in the crash, told police she had no time to react and could not avoid the crash.

The impact sent the Lincoln off the road against a chain-link fence on the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds property. The car also collided with a telephone box and utility pole, causing a loss of power in the area for about 30 minutes.

Ozok was transported to Regional Hospital, where he remained Tuesday.