CENTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio. – October 3, 2025 — A 97-year-old Celina man was killed Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Route 33 in Center Township, according to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Doug Timmerman reported that deputies responded to the scene just east of the Oregon Road intersection around 1:32 p.m., after receiving a call from Mercer County Central Dispatch.
The investigation determined that Donald Bair, 97, was driving a Polaris Ranger UTV northbound on a farm lane when he failed to yield to oncoming traffic and crossed into the westbound lanes of U.S. 33. His vehicle was struck by a 2019 white Chevrolet van driven by Paul Knapke, 79, of Coldwater.
Bair was transported by Celina EMS to Joint Township District Memorial Hospital in St. Marys, where he was pronounced dead.
Knapke sustained injuries in the crash and was taken to Mercer Health in Coldwater for treatment. Several adult passengers were in the van at the time but did not require medical attention.
Responding to the scene were personnel from Celina EMS, Celina Fire Department, Mendon Fire Department, and Mercer County Emergency Response Volunteers (MCERV).
The crash remains under investigation and will be reviewed by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities confirmed this is the fifth fatal traffic crash in Mercer County so far this year.
