Charges pending in suspected Milan Twp. drunken driving crash

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers are watching and waiting as a retired Milan attorney clings to life at a Toledo hospital. Troopers still haven't charged suspected drunken driver Brian Lindenberger, 24, of Norwalk, whose fate hinges on whether Lawrence "Larry" Schell, 80, pulls through at the hospital. Lindenberger was driving a Buick Century that struck a Jeep Cherokee head-on at about 11:45 a.m. Friday on Kelley Road, troopers said. Schell, a passenger in the Jeep, was flown by medical helicopter from the scene to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, where he remains in critical condition. The Jeep's driver — Zachary Frederick, 16, of Milan — was taken by ambulance to Firelands Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, troopers said. Lindenberger was headed south on Kelley Road when his vehicle swerved off the right side of the road, then overcorrected, colliding head-on with the northbound Jeep, troopers said. "While speaking with (Lindenberger) at the hospital, the trooper immediately smelled the odor of alcoholic beverages," Highway Patrol Sgt. Joe Wentworth said. "The report also says he was being extremely difficult and belligerent." For more on this story, pick up a copy of Tuesday's Register.