Councilman Injured at Football Game Released From Hospital

Councilman Larry Meiners, injured at the Sept. 13 Avon Lake High School football game, is back home.

“I was released this morning,” Meiners said Sept. 17. “I can’t drive, I’m incoherent a lot and I have a bad concussion, but I’m back home.”

Meiners, along with fellow American Legion Post 211 member Jake Lundy, were taken to the hospital after the large “Birdland” sign blew over just after 7 p.m. The sign landed on members of the Post who traditionally perform the flag raising games in Memorial Stadium. Several other Post members received scrapes and bruises that did not require hospitalization.

“All I know is I was at the game getting ready to raise the flag and then I was in an ambulance,” Meiners said Sept. 17. “I told them to take me to the Avon (Richard E. Jacobs Cleveland) Clinic.”

In the incident, Lundy, the father of State Representative Matt Lundy, was pinned under the sign which also struck Meiners in the head. Lundy suffered a broken tibia and might require surgery.

Meiners was joined at the hospital by his wife Patti and son Lance. They later told him his response to almost every question asked was, “Avon Lake.”

At 11:30 p.m. he was transferred to Fairview Hospital where he remained under observation until Tuesday, despite requests to leave Saturday morning. Due to dizziness, he has been forced to use a walker.

“I’ll say this,” Meiners said. “When I got into the ambulance I was so relieved to see the Avon Lake paramedics. They were very attentive and stayed with me the whole time.”

In the hospital, he was visited by a member of the Avon Lake band, who presented him with flowers.

Meiners said he will “lay low” for awhile. Council is back in session after summer break and Meiners said he will assess his abilities as time passes this week.