Former Logan County family’s home struck by semi Sunday
ROUNDHEAD — Gerrick Hawkins, and his mother, Tricia Hawkins, have had a rough year.
Gerrick, 28, was renting a trailer with a roommate at Frontier Cottages in Lakeview when the March 14 tornado destroyed it and damaged two of his vehicles, forcing him to move in with his mother at her home in the 16000 block of State Route 117 north of Roundhead.
The 2015 Indian Lake High School graduate was struck in the head by a door and then by a couch before being sucked out of the trailer during the tornado. Miraculously, he was not seriously injured as a result.
Early in the year, the family lost a beloved pitbull mix dog, Maximus.
More recently, Gerrick had a friend pass away locally, who had served in the military.
Then events of Sunday, Nov. 3, hit the Hawkins family, almost literally, when a tractor-trailer struck their home and caused significant damage.
Deputies of the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office report Gary Lee Campbell, 67, of Belle Center, was transported by Alger EMS to Lima Memorial Hospital for treatment of suspected serious injuries after the semi struck the home around 2 p.m.
Campbell reportedly was operating a northbound 2008 Volvo 240 Series semi on State Route 117 near County Road 180 when he went into the southbound lane of S.R. 117 and went off the left side of the road.
Deputies said the semi struck a ditch and continued into a yard along S.R. 117 where it grazed a tree, then struck the residence.
No other injuries were reported for occupants of the residence.
Gerrick was returning from a friend’s house on his motorcycle which he parked in the backyard prior to the crash. He said he began to take his helmet and jacket off when he heard a loud bang and the sound of his mother screaming.
Tricia, a third-shift associate at Honda Transmission, happened to be letting her two dogs out when the semi crashed into her bedroom, where she normally would have been sleeping at that time of day.
The semi driver was reportedly in and out of consciousness at the scene. It is not known if he was wearing a seat belt.
Damage to the semi, owned by Heinz Farms Partnership of Lakeview, was heavy. It was empty at the time of the crash and believed to be en route to the fields to pick up a load.
Neither alcohol nor drugs were suspected as factors, according to the crash report. No citations have yet been issued as deputies continue to investigate.
Roundhead Fire Department personnel responded to the scene. Emergency personnel from USV Ambulance District, Wayne Township, Richland Township, BMRT EMS, St. Johns and Huntsville Fire provided mutual aid.
First responders were on scene until about 7:30 p.m. Traffic on S.R. 117 in the area was delayed for a time.
Monday afternoon, Nov. 4, Gerrick, Tricia, her boyfriend, Dean Siebold, and Gerrick’s friend, Tony, were doing what they could to clean up debris and salvage items from the home.
Tricia purchased the home in 2015 after living in various places in Logan County. It was shifted off its foundation as a result of the crash.
The home had recently been remodeled with new siding, windows and a new front porch, Tricia said, along with adding new carpet and kitchen cabinets inside.
Now there are concerns about how the insurance company will handle the claim, taking time off work and just dealing with the mess, in general.
Tricia shared she lost some irreplaceable items, like photos of her now deceased parents. She was also grateful to fire personnel who retrieved boxes containing cremated family pets from the home after the crash.
Taking the difficult events in stride, Gerrick and Tricia joked that “2025 will have to be a better year.”
