Victim in serious condition after S. Lincoln accident

A man hit by a tow truck early yesterday morning during Halloween celebrations in Kent is in serious condition.

Dana Lim remains in intensive care at Akron City Hospital, a hospital representative said.

The accident occurred shortly after midnight in front of 202 S. Lincoln St., a house owned by the Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Richie Epling, 20, of Kent, said he was the driver of the tow truck.

Epling said he saw someone fall into the side of his truck. He couldn’t stop before Lim fell and was run over by the truck’s back tires. Epling said he was driving 15 miles per hour.

The flatbed tow truck, owned by Plaza Auto Care & Towing, was carrying a pickup truck at the time of the accident.

Epling said he was still shaken yesterday.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” he said. “Just devastating.”

Witnesses at the scene said there was a fight in front of the Delta Upsilon house, and that Lim was thrown into the side of the truck.

Epling said people were still fighting, even after Lim was hit.

“It makes you wonder,” Epling said. “It’s just crazy.”

No arrests were made at the scene, but elsewhere 81 people were arrested, according to Kent Police. The Daily Kent Stater reported 65 arrests were made last year.

An estimated crowd size was not available at press time, but police had been expecting 20,000 people.

By 8 p.m., Kent Police Lt. Canfield said there was already a good-sized crowd.

“A lot of high school kids,” he said. The college crowd usually comes out around 10:30 p.m.

Early on, people young and old could be seen on street corners watching the night’s happenings. At that time, they outnumbered college students.

Lt. Ray Stein thought students, once they came out, wouldn’t stay late. Temperatures Saturday stayed just above freezing.

Later Saturday night, safety forces on foot became invisible among a large crowd of costumed partiers, but no one could ignore the constant wail of ambulance and fire truck sirens.

The emergency vehicles rushed up and down Main Street.

The Kent Fire Department reported 24 medical-related runs, most involving alcohol or assault. A fire department official said that’s typical for Halloween weekend.

On campus, security manager Brian Hellwig said he and his 20 security aides had a busy night, though it was slower than previous years, “but not by much.”

Contact safety reporter Steve Bushong at [email protected].