TOLEDO, Ohio — A 66-year-old Toledo man has died after his car left a hospital parking lot and crashed into a parked vehicle in West Toledo on Monday, Nov. 2, The Blade reported.
The driver, identified as Gregory Kowalski, 66, of Toledo, was in a car that accelerated out of the ProMedica Toledo Hospital parking lot, ran over a series of curbs, crossed a large grassy area and went through a fence before continuing to Midwood Avenue, according to the report.
The car then struck a parked vehicle in the driveway of Original Gino’s Pizza in the 3000 block of Midwood Avenue, near Hughes Drive. Kowalski was taken to Toledo Hospital, where he later died, The Blade reported.
Toledo police said the car accelerated for an undetermined reason before it left the parking area. A 33-year-old Perrysburg man associated with the parked vehicle was not hurt, according to the initial police account.
The Toledo Police Department is investigating the crash. Anyone with information can contact the department through the Toledo Police Department website.
The Fostoria Free Press extends its condolences to Kowalski’s family and friends. This is a developing story and will be updated if police release more information.
Sources
The Blade, “Man dies following West Toledo crash” (published Nov. 2, updated Nov. 3, 2026): https://www.toledoblade.com/local/police-fire/2026/11/02/man-injured-when-acceleration-led-west-toledo-crash/stories/20261102087
Toledo Police Department initial crash account, as reported by NewsChunks, “Toledo Man Injured After Vehicle Leaves Hospital Parking Area” (Nov. 3, 2026): https://newschunks.com/state/ohio/toledo/toledo-man-injured-after-vehicle-leaves-hospital-parking-area/
TOLEDO – Phoned-in bomb threats forced the evacuation of a Toledo polling place and several other northwest Ohio schools Tuesday morning, briefly interrupting Election Day voting at Beverly Elementary School. Police searched each building, found nothing and gave the all-clear.
Toledo Police responded to a reported bomb threat at Beverly Elementary, which is serving as a polling location, at about 10:27 a.m., WTOL 11 reported. Toledo Public Schools students did not have class Tuesday. A second threat was reported at about 10:39 a.m. at Monac Elementary School, where Washington Local Schools staff were in the building for a workday. The district said Monac was evacuated after a phone call suggesting a bomb threat and that police swept the building and found nothing.
Toledo Police spokesman Sgt. Mohamad Nasser said the Northwest Ohio Bomb Squad was notified and bomb-detection K-9s were requested to search the sites, according to WTOL. Police have not said whether the threats are connected.
Voters and poll workers at Beverly Elementary were sent outside while officers searched. Lucas County Board of Elections Director LaVera Scott initially said extra voting machines were being brought in so people could vote outside, 13abc reported. An election-protection poll monitor told WTOL that roughly 40 people waited outside during the sweep and that monitors collected names and phone numbers of people who were turned away. Police cleared the school at about 12:15 p.m., and voting resumed inside.
Voters with questions about their polling place can check with the Lucas County Board of Elections. Polls in Ohio are open until 7:30 p.m.
Bowling Green and Lake Township schools
In Wood County, Bowling Green City Schools said Conneaut Elementary and Kenwood Elementary received threatening phone calls Tuesday morning. Students and staff at both schools were evacuated as a precaution while the Bowling Green Police Division swept the buildings. Police gave the all-clear, and classes resumed as normal, the district said.
“Authorities believe the calls were part of a swatting incident – a false report intended to trigger an emergency response,” the district said, adding that the threats were still taken seriously and that it is aware other Ohio districts recently received similar calls.
Lake Local Schools in Millbury also received a bomb threat at about 10:30 a.m., the district said. Students were evacuated while staff worked with Lake Township Police to search each building. Authorities determined there was no threat, and students returned to class.
None of the Bowling Green or Lake Local buildings are polling sites, WTOL reported. No injuries were reported at any of the schools.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is released.
Sources:
WTOL 11 – Voters allowed back into Beverly Elementary after evacuation (Nov. 3, 2026): https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/vote/police-investigate-school-threat-in-lake-township-sweep-tps-polling-location/512-97755e13-a45e-4b5b-9d45-4fc9e015776e
13abc/WTVG – Polling location at Beverly Elementary temporarily evacuated (Nov. 3, 2026): https://www.13abc.com/2026/11/03/polling-location-beverly-elementary-evacuated-due-bomb-treat/
BG Independent News – Bowling Green City Schools safety update (Nov. 3, 2026): https://bgindependentmedia.org/bowling-green-city-schools-provides-safety-update/
Sentinel-Tribune – Threatening calls reported at 2 BG elementaries (Nov. 3, 2026): https://www.sent-trib.com/2026/11/03/threatening-calls-reported-at-2-bg-elementaries/
Sentinel-Tribune – Lake Schools reports bomb threat (Nov. 3, 2026): https://www.sent-trib.com/2026/11/03/lake-schools-reports-bomb-threat/
Lucas County Board of Elections: https://lucascountyohiovotes.gov/
https://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/toledo-polling-bomb-threatFostoria News.jpg6751200GRK BThttps://thefostoriafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-01-at-9.19.31 PM-1030x926.pngGRK BT2026-11-03 15:05:132026-11-03 15:05:13TOLEDO | Bomb Threats Force Evacuation of Election Day Polling Place, Several Area Schools
TOLEDO – Homicides in Toledo fell nearly 27% over the first nine months of 2026, but the number of people shot rose almost 19%, city leaders said Monday as they released the city’s third-quarter crime statistics.
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and Police Chief Kevin Braun presented the numbers Nov. 2. It was the first crime statistics update with Braun as chief. He officially took over the Toledo Police Department on Nov. 1, after Chief Mike Troendle retired over the weekend, 13abc reported.
The numbers
According to the City of Toledo, comparing the first nine months of 2026 with the same period of 2025:
Homicides: down 26.7%, 22 compared with 30
Robberies: down 18.9%, 185 compared with 228
Theft from motor vehicles: down 8%, 694 compared with 754
Auto thefts: down 6.4%, 845 compared with 903
Burglaries: up 1.3%, 977 compared with 964
Persons shot (not self-inflicted): up 18.6%, 134 compared with 113
What city leaders said
Kapszukiewicz said that, barring an unexpected tragedy, the city is on track to record its lowest yearly homicide total, and he credited city policies and strategies with bringing the rate down not only from its COVID-era spike but below where it stood a decade ago.
“I think that is a significant step forward. Now, we’re not satisfied, we’d like to be even lower,” the mayor said, according to 13abc.
He also acknowledged the categories that moved the wrong way. “Burglaries ticked up a little bit … and individuals being shot also ticked up,” Kapszukiewicz said.
Braun called the report “a bit of a mixed bag” but said overall crime is down in the city. He credited partnerships with community groups and other law enforcement agencies, police work and new technology.
“We’re seeing fewer homicides, robberies, and vehicle thefts, but we also know too many people are still being affected by gun violence,” Braun said.
The full news conference is available from 13abc.
Sources
13abc (WTVG), “WATCH: Toledo leaders tout decreased homicide rate in latest crime statistics briefing,” updated Nov. 2, 2026: https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/30/toledo-leaders-present-latest-crime-statistics-monday/
13abc (WTVG), “Toledo homicides down nearly 27% in third quarter; people shot up almost 19%,” Nov. 2, 2026: https://www.13abc.com/video/2026/11/03/toledo-homicides-down-nearly-27-third-quarter-people-shot-up-almost-19/
City of Toledo: https://toledo.oh.gov/
Toledo Police Department: https://toledopolice.com/
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TOLEDO, Ohio- Three people were killed and three others were hurt when two vehicles collided head-on on Hill Avenue at Wenz Road in south Toledo late Saturday night, Oct. 31, according to Toledo police.
The crash happened just after 11 p.m., WTOL 11 reported, citing a police crash report. 13abc reported the time as just before 11:15 p.m.
According to the Toledo Police Department, as reported by 13abc, a Dodge Charger was heading east on Hill Avenue when it struck a westbound Chevy Blazer head-on.
Who was killed
The driver of the Charger, 19, and one of his three passengers, a 17-year-old male, died at the scene, police said. 13abc, citing Toledo police, identified the Charger driver as Tewan Terry, 19.
The driver of the Blazer, a 26-year-old, was taken to the University of Toledo Medical Center, where the driver later died, according to police. 13abc, citing Toledo police, identified the Blazer driver as Nasir Johnson, 26. WTOL 11, citing the police crash report, described the Blazer driver as a 26-year-old woman. The Fostoria Free Press has not been able to resolve that difference independently.
WTOL 11 said Sunday morning that it was not naming the people involved because the police report indicated that the victims’ families had not yet been notified.
Three others hurt
Two other passengers in the Charger, ages 16 and 17, were injured and taken to a Toledo hospital, according to police. A 28-year-old passenger in the Blazer was also hurt and taken to UTMC.
In all, four people from the two vehicles were taken to area hospitals, 13abc reported. Johnson, the Blazer driver, later died at the hospital, leaving three people hospitalized.
Police have not released information on the extent of the survivors’ injuries, WTOL 11 reported.
Investigation ongoing
The Toledo Police Department is investigating the crash. As of Sunday, police had not publicly said what caused the collision, whether alcohol or drugs were a factor, or whether any charges will be filed. Police also had not said which other agencies responded to the scene.
Toledo police crash reports are generally posted on the department’s online accident report site no sooner than five days after a crash, according to the site, so a full written report may not be available until later this week.
Anyone who saw the crash or has information is encouraged to contact the Toledo Police Department.
The Fostoria Free Press extends its condolences to the families and friends of those who died. This is a developing story and will be updated as Toledo police release more information.
Sources
WTOL 11, “3 dead, 3 injured in crash at Hill Avenue and Wenz Road in Toledo” (Nov. 1, 2026) – https://www.wtol.com/article/traffic/3-dead-3-injured-in-crash-at-hill-avenue-and-wenz-road-in-toledo/512-a1d587fc-a8da-4ac8-b69d-436f375610c2
WTOL 11 video report (Nov. 1, 2026) – https://www.wtol.com/video/news/local/3-dead-3-injured-in-crash-at-hill-avenue-and-wenz-road-in-toledo/512-9a3b2057-5cb9-4317-8c1d-f20ec034f0b4
Toledo Police Accident Reports – https://tpdaccidentreports.noris.org/Home/
13abc (WTVG), “3 dead, 3 hospitalized in head-on crash in Toledo” (Nov. 1, 2026) – https://www.13abc.com/2026/11/01/3-dead-3-hospitalized-head-on-crash-toledo/
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TOLEDO- When Fostoria folks want a bigger outdoor adventure without a long trip, the Toledo area delivers. Metroparks Toledo manages some of the most unusual natural areas in Ohio, led by Oak Openings Preserve. Here is a guide, using details from Metroparks Toledo.
Oak Openings Preserve Metropark
Where: 5402 Wilkins Road, Whitehouse, between Whitehouse and Swanton. Hours: 7 a.m. until dark every day.
Metroparks Toledo says Oak Openings is its largest park by far, at 5,000 acres, and part of a surrounding Oak Openings Region 23 times larger than the park itself. Pioneers who slogged through the Great Black Swamp named the area for its widely spaced oaks and open prairies, which made travel easy by comparison.
The habitats are unlike anything near Fostoria: oak savanna, wetlands and open, vegetated sand dunes. The park says The Nature Conservancy once named the sandy region one of its “Last Great Places on Earth.” Prickly pear cactus, wild lupine and sand cherry bloom on dry dunes just yards from orchids growing in wet swales.
Things to do:
Hike: More than 70 miles of trail, including horse trails, a dedicated cross-country ski trail and a mountain bike singletrack.
Bird: The park calls itself a birder’s paradise, with nesting bluebirds, indigo buntings, whip-poor-wills and lark sparrows, and good spring songbird migration.
Stay overnight: Two campgrounds, two cabins and what Metroparks calls the nation’s only public treehouse village. Reserve ahead.
Photograph the pines: Rows of pine and spruce planted decades ago still stand, though many are nearing the end of their lives.
Wildwood Preserve Metropark
Where: 5100 W. Central Ave., Toledo. Open 7 a.m. until dark.
Wildwood is the most visited Metropark, a 493-acre former estate of the Stranahan family. Trails cross rolling terrain along the Ottawa River, and the prairie blooms with blazing star and tall grasses in summer. The Georgian-style Manor House, built in 1938 by Champion Spark Plug’s Robert Stranahan, offers free tours and is decorated for the holidays.
Secor Metropark
Where: 10001 W. Central Ave., Berkey. Open 7 a.m. until dark.
Secor has tall timber, sandy rises, wet lowlands, meadows and prairies, plus what Metroparks calls northwest Ohio’s largest concentration of native dogwood. It sits at the northern end of the developing Oak Openings Corridor and has the park system’s most extensive barrier-free playgrounds, a cross-country ski trail and a Window on Wildlife viewing area.
Side Cut Metropark
Where: 1025 W. River Road, Maumee. Open 7 a.m. until dark.
Side Cut is where the Metroparks system began more than 90 years ago. It sits on the Maumee River beside rare rock flats known as the Maumee River Ledges. Three locks from the old Miami and Erie Canal survive. Walleye anglers flock here in late March and April for the spring run.
Tips
Late fall is a good time for crowd-free hiking. Dress in layers.
For ranger help, call Metroparks at 419-407-9718.
Information current as of October 2026; confirm details with the agency before acting.
Sources
Metroparks Toledo, park pages for Oak Openings Preserve, Wildwood Preserve, Secor and Side Cut metroparks (metroparkstoledo.com)
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Illustration: FFP (not an actual image of the scene).
TOLEDO- A 50-year-old Toledo man is jailed on rape and burglary charges after police say he forced his way into a woman’s home through a basement window late Thursday night and assaulted her.
Richard Ulch, of Toledo, was arrested Friday, Oct. 23, and charged with two counts of rape and aggravated burglary, according to Toledo police affidavits and court records first reported by 13abc and WTOL 11.
What police allege
According to the charging documents, Ulch got into the home through a basement window on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 22. Once inside, he is accused of violently assaulting the woman who lived there, including holding her head against the stairs, and raping her.
Police have not publicly released the street or neighborhood where the alleged attack happened. FFP is not identifying the woman.
The charges
Rape is a first-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code 2907.02. Aggravated burglary, which covers trespassing into an occupied home by force while inflicting or threatening physical harm, is also a first-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code 2911.11.
Ulch is scheduled to appear in Toledo Municipal Court on Monday, Oct. 26. Felony cases that begin in municipal court are typically bound over to a Lucas County grand jury, which decides whether to return an indictment.
Earlier case
Court records also show Ulch was charged earlier this year with impersonating a peace officer and theft. In that case, he is accused of posing as a police officer and stealing boots from a local store. The outcome of that case was not immediately clear.
Charges are accusations, not findings of guilt. Richard Ulch is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Anyone who has experienced sexual violence can reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline 24 hours a day at 800-656-4673.
This is a developing story. FFP will update it as court records and police information become available.
TOLEDO – One person was taken to a hospital early Thursday after a two-vehicle crash near the Lucas County jail in downtown Toledo left a Jeep on its side, Toledo police said, according to WTOL 11.
The crash happened shortly after midnight Oct. 29 at Cherry Street and Spielbusch Avenue. The person taken to the hospital had injuries that appeared to be minor, according to police.
Officers closed the road for a time while crews cleared the vehicles. The roadway has since reopened.
The cause of the crash and who was at fault remain under investigation. No names have been released. The Toledo Police Department had not posted a statement on the crash as of early Thursday.
This story may be updated if police release more information.
Sources:
WTOL 11, “One person hospitalized after Cherry Street crash in Toledo,” Oct. 29, 2026: https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/one-person-hospitalized-after-cherry-street-crash-in-toledo/512-f8154a05-73a5-435d-afcc-a84f04b2ec5e
WTOL 11 video, “Jeep flips onto its side in overnight Toledo crash,” Oct. 29, 2026: https://www.wtol.com/video/news/local/jeep-flips-onto-its-side-in-overnight-toledo-crash/512-0cfceca7-c632-4951-9eb9-9a3d89017462
Toledo Police Department: https://toledopolice.com/
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TOLEDO – A child was hurt Wednesday evening when a car hit a motorcycle and then hit the back of a mail truck on Upton Avenue in west Toledo, according to Toledo police dispatch radio traffic.
The crash was reported shortly after 7 p.m. Eastern time, Oct. 28, on Upton Avenue near Mansfield Road. A caller told dispatchers a car had hit a motorcycle and then the back of a mail truck, and that a child had been riding on the back of the motorcycle. At one point the caller also referred to the vehicle as a four-wheeler, so the exact type of vehicle is not clear. An adult man was also reported hurt.
Police units were sent to the scene and told to block traffic at Mansfield Road. Dispatchers asked for a traffic crash investigator and a sergeant to respond.
Names, ages and conditions of those hurt have not been released by officials, and it is not known where anyone was taken. The Toledo Police Department and Toledo Fire and Rescue had not released details on the cause of the crash or whether anyone will be cited as of Wednesday night.
This is a developing story and will be updated as officials release more information.
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Día de Muertos: The Holiday That Throws a Party for the Dead
While much of America spends late October on haunted houses and jump scares, families in Mexico set an extra place at the table. Día de Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is not about being afraid of death. It is about refusing to let death have the last word.
Each year on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, families across Mexico — and more and more here in the United States — welcome the spirits of loved ones home for a short visit. Tradition sets Nov. 1, often called Día de los Angelitos, aside for children who have died, and Nov. 2, Día de los Difuntos, for adults. The welcome is warm, loud and delicious. That is the whole point.
A little history: 3,000 years in the making
This is not a new holiday dressed up for social media. Its roots reach back roughly 3,000 years to the rituals of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, where the Aztecs and other Indigenous peoples of what is now Mexico saw death as a natural part of life’s cycle rather than its end. Nahua rituals honoring the dead were traditionally held in August and were tied to Mictecácihuatl, the Lady of the Dead, who ruled over the underworld of Mictlán. Families offered food, water and tools to help the dead on their long journey — the seed of today’s offerings.
When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, those customs did not disappear. They blended with the Catholic feasts of All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2. The result is a holiday with both Indigenous and Catholic roots, and it has endured so strongly that UNESCO inscribed Mexico’s “Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead” on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
Inside an ofrenda
The heart of the holiday is the ofrenda, the home altar families build to welcome their loved ones back. Every item on it means something:
Photo: provided to The Fostoria Free Press
Photos of the departed, so everyone knows exactly who is being honored.
Cempasúchil, the marigold, whose bright orange color and strong scent are said to guide spirits home.
Candles to light the way, plus water for thirst after the long trip and salt for the road.
Copal incense, burned since pre-Hispanic times, carrying prayers upward.
Pan de muerto and sugar skulls. The sweet bread is decorated with bone-shaped dough, and the calaveras de azúcar turn death into something playful, not scary.
Papel picado, colorful cut-paper banners fluttering overhead.
Favorite foods and drinks of the departed, because a guest should be fed properly.
La Catrina
Then there is La Catrina, the elegantly dressed skeleton who has become the holiday’s most famous face. She began around 1910 as a satirical etching by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, poking fun at upper-class Mexicans who chased European fashion — a reminder that death comes for rich and poor alike. In 1947, muralist Diego Rivera placed her at the center of his famous Mexico City mural, “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central Park,” and she has reigned over the holiday ever since.
Photo: provided to The Fostoria Free Press
The monarch butterflies
If you are in Mexico in early November, look up. Millions of monarch butterflies finish their migration in the mountain forests of Michoacán right around Nov. 1, and Indigenous traditions in the region hold that the butterflies carry the souls of ancestors coming home for their visit.
This is not Mexican Halloween
It is worth saying plainly, because the mix-up is common: Día de Muertos is not Halloween with different decorations. Halloween is about fright. Día de Muertos is about memory, family and spiritual connection — a joyful reunion, not a haunted house.
Photo: provided to The Fostoria Free Press
Celebrate close to home
You do not have to fly to Oaxaca to experience it. Here are celebrations in the Toledo area this year, plus Ohio’s biggest festival for those willing to make the drive.
Thursday, Oct. 29 — Día de los Muertos Celebration, Toledo
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Sofia Quintero Art and Cultural Center, José Martínez Memorial Gallery, 1222 Broadway St., Toledo
Details: The center’s fall fundraiser, with a first look at its Community Altar Exhibition, hors d’oeuvres, La Tiendita shopping, a cash bar and a raffle. Tickets are $60 per person through sqacc.org.
Monday, Nov. 2 — Día de los Muertos Dinner, Toledo
Where: Registry Bistro, 144 N. Superior St., downtown Toledo
Details: A special dinner inspired by Día de los Muertos. A start time has not been published; call 419-725-0444 for details and reservations.
Thursday, Nov. 5 — “Corazón y Recuerdo,” Perrysburg
When: 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: Owens Community College Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 7270 Biniker Road, Perrysburg
Details: A free, all-ages Día de los Muertos celebration from El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico, with a community art gallery and a recital performance. Free registration is on Eventbrite.
Saturday, Nov. 7 — Día de Muertos Ohio Festival, Cleveland
When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: Cleveland Public Theatre campus, Detroit Avenue, Cleveland
Details: The 22nd annual festival features altar installations, Latin food, live music, a folk art market and a parade in the afternoon. Admission is free, but every guest needs a ticket, and a $10 donation is suggested. More at diademuertosohio.com.
Whether you build a full ofrenda or simply light a candle, cook a loved one’s favorite meal and tell their stories out loud, the invitation is the same one Mexican families have offered for thousands of years: pull up a chair. The dead are not really gone as long as someone still sets a place for them.
Sources:
UNESCO – Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead – https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/indigenous-festivity-dedicated-to-the-dead-00054
HISTORY – Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) – https://www.history.com/articles/day-of-the-dead
Smarthistory – Diego Rivera, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central Park – https://smarthistory.org/rivera-dream-of-a-sunday-afternoon-in-alameda-central-park/
National Wildlife Federation – A Monarch Migration Timed to Mexico’s Day of the Dead – https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2024/Fall/Conservation/Monarch-Migration-Mexico
Sofia Quintero Art and Cultural Center – Dia De Los Muertos 2026 – https://sqacc.org/dia-de-los-muertos
Registry Bistro – Events – https://www.registrybistro.com/events
Eventbrite – Corazon y Recuerdo: A Dia de Los Muertos Celebration – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/corazon-y-recuerdo-a-dia-de-los-muertos-celebration-tickets-2003418958034
Cleveland Public Theatre – Dia de Muertos – https://www.cptonline.org/performances/seasons/2026-2027/dia-de-muertos-10/
Dia de Muertos Ohio – https://diademuertosohio.com/
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[UPDATED 10/29/26 10:30 PM] A third proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed over the Oct. 20 chemical release, The Blade reported Thursday. The new suit, Thiede, et al. v. M.C. Tank Transport, Inc., et al., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against M.C. Tank Transport Inc. and parent company The Kenan Advantage Group Inc., according to the Ann Arbor law firm that filed it, Dubin Law PLLC. It seeks to represent people who owned, rented, occupied or lived in homes within 15 miles of the Progress Avenue terminal between Oct. 20 and Oct. 23, with separate subclasses for Ohio and Michigan residents. The firm says the suit seeks damages such as loss of use of property, evacuation and displacement costs, cleanup costs and lost wages. It joins Hartford’s Oct. 23 suit and a second proposed class action filed Oct. 26 by a resident, both in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. These are allegations that have not been proven in court, and no class has been certified. The filing firm noted that the 15-mile boundary does not mean every property in that area was affected.
TOLEDO — A Toledo business owner has filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status against the company behind last week’s chemical leak in north Toledo, its parent company and the terminal’s plant manager, according to Lucas County Common Pleas Court filings reported by 13abc and WTOL 11.
The suit was filed Oct. 23 by Todd M. Hartford and his company, Hartford’s Fencing & Landscaping LLC. It names M.C. Tank Transport Inc., parent company Kenan Advantage Group Inc. and terminal plant manager Albert Dudek as defendants, and lists claims of negligence, gross negligence or recklessness, nuisance and strict liability for an abnormally dangerous activity, 13abc reported.
The case stems from the Oct. 20 release of glycidyl methacrylate, or GMA, from a storage tank at the terminal at 1266 Progress Avenue. GMA is an industrial chemical used in resins, coatings and adhesives. The release led Toledo Fire & Rescue to order everyone within one mile of the terminal to evacuate and people within three miles to shelter in place. The City of Toledo posted updates on the response on its official hazmat incident page. All evacuation orders were lifted at noon Oct. 23.
What the lawsuit claims
According to the complaint, the defendants failed to keep adequate levels of a chemical stabilizer in the tank, failed to properly monitor its temperature and pressure, and failed to inspect and maintain its safety systems. The suit also argues that storing the chemical in bulk so close to homes and businesses was reckless, and that venting the tank to relieve pressure allowed the release to keep reaching the surrounding community, WTOL reported.
The complaint estimates about 1,379 people in 581 housing units lived inside the one-mile evacuation zone and about 49,527 people in 22,940 housing units lived inside the three-mile shelter-in-place area, including some in Monroe County, Michigan. It says at least 389 businesses and facilities sit within three miles of the terminal, 35 of them inside the evacuation zone.
Hartford says he was displaced from his home and his business had to close, according to the filing. He is asking the court to let the case go forward as a class action on behalf of displaced residents and businesses that were forced to close or limit operations, and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
These are allegations in a civil complaint. No court has ruled on them, and the court has not decided whether to certify the case as a class action. M.C. Tank Transport, Kenan Advantage Group and Dudek had not responded to the allegations as of 13abc’s report.
FFP has covered the leak since the first night, including the evacuation, the shelter-in-place order and the lifting of all orders on Oct. 23.
Watch: WTOL 11 report
Video: “Class action lawsuit filed against business at center of north Toledo chemical leak,” posted by WTOL11 on YouTube.
Sources:
13abc (WTVG), “Toledo business owner sues over chemical release,” Oct. 26, 2026: https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/27/toledo-business-owner-sues-over-chemical-release/
WTOL 11, “Lawsuit filed after Toledo chemical leak alleges negligence, seeks class-action status,” Oct. 26, 2026: https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/lawsuit-filed-after-toledo-chemical-leak-alleges-negligence-seeking-class-action-status/512-a087ec64-0c1c-4d20-8a34-93c1a2b3efab
City of Toledo, hazmat evacuation in north Toledo updates: https://toledo.oh.gov/news/2026/10/23/hazmat-evacuation-in-north-toledo
WTOL 11 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuwlRubOK_8
The Blade, “3rd class action lawsuit filed against MC Tank Transport,” Oct. 29, 2026: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/courts/2026/10/29/3rd-class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-mc-tank-transport/stories/20261029098
Dubin Law PLLC, “Federal Class Action Filed Following October 20, 2026 Toledo Chemical Release”: https://www.dubinlawpllc.com/class-action/toledo-hazmat-release-michigan/
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