Posted By Vince Grzegorekvgrzegorek@clevescene.com> on Mon, Mar 1, 2021 at 10:15 AM click to enlarge Natalie Wilson, family photo
A 15-year-old girl died and a 17-year-old girl sustained serious spinal cord injuries in separate sledding accidents at Hinckley Hill the weekend of Feb. 20th.
Officials say the hill, a popular area for sledding, became icy that Saturday and Sunday as temperatures rose and thawing snow became a sheet of ice. In both incidents, according to reports, the sledders veered off to the right of the hill and into trees.
Eirelyn Zuercher, the 15-year-old Akron teen, suffered a detrimental brain injury, according to a Facebook post from her mother. Compounding the tragedy, her father suffered a massive heart attack and died as the family arrived at the hospital.