Man charged with felony OVI after fiery crash

FLORENCE TWP. — A car caught fire after its operator allegedly drove while intoxicated and crashed into another impaired driver Friday evening. Jefferson Gleba, 30, of Elyria, was charged with felony operating a vehicle under the influence and three misdemeanors: refusal to take a sobriety test with a past conviction, driving left of center and driving with a suspended license. Someone can be charged with felony OVI for multiple misdemeanor convictions. Gleba had two prior felony convictions, according to an Erie County sheriff's report. The other driver, a 68-year-old North Royalton, Ohio, man, was charged with misdemeanor-level OVI. The crash occurred at about 9:25 p.m. Friday in the 10500 block of Ohio 113, which is near Ceylon Road (Ohio 61), according to the report. Deputies arrived to find a black Buick on fire, though the vehicle's driver — the North Royalton man — was already out of the car. Another man told deputies he helped both drivers get out of their vehicles following the collision, the report states. The North Royalton man told deputies that a white Chevrolet, allegedly driven by Gleba, drove into the oncoming lane and struck his vehicle, according to the report. Deputies said both drivers admitted to drinking alcohol before driving but both suffered non-life-threatening injuries and couldn't perform field sobriety tests. Both were hospitalized; the North Royalton man was released to hospital staff with a court summons and Gleba was treated, released and jailed after he allegedly refused to submit to a chemical blood-alcohol test. Gleba has since been released from the Erie County Jail on bond.