CROTON — A Croton man is facing multiple charges after he made a cell phone call Saturday morning, saying he was trapped under his car in a corn field after a crash. The call came in to dispatchers at Knox County at about 6:15 a.m.
The Central Ohio Joint Fire District at Centerburg was called to respond. Chief Joe Porter headed south of Hillier Township, and other rescue personnel were dispatched around area roads to search for the car. Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers from posts at Granville, Delaware and Mount Gilead also converged on the area, searching for where a car had left the road. A patrol search airplane was poised to become airborne at first light and a MedFlight helicopter was on standby in case it should be needed.
The Verizon cell phone network helped with narrowing the location where the call originated. Meanwhile, troopers were talking to the man on his cell phone, which finally went silent. They determined the call was 4 1/2 miles south of the cell tower on Perry Road, east of Centerburg. Searchers quickly zeroed in on Fairgrounds Road north of Croton, and finally found the home where the call was coming from.
Sgt. Wes Stout from the Mount Gilead OSHP post said they found the car the man had described behind the house, with damage from hitting a utility pole. Stout said he then entered the house and found the man, John Feuerbach, asleep on the bed with the cell phone to his ear.
Troopers from the Delaware Patrol post are handling the investigation. A trooper said they are sorting through the evidence, but it may be several days before they can determine what charges to file.
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