By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

Five people were injured, three critically, when a SUV plowed into a string of six motorcycles on S.R. 5 in Charlestown Saturday evening.

The lead motorcycle rider, Thurl Harris of Akron, said he saw the driver drifting left of the centerline.

"He had his head down. I yelled and screamed at him as I went by. I looked in my back (mirror) and it was just people flying everywhere," Harris said.

The Ohio Highway Patrol is investigating the crash which occurred about 5:15 p.m. about three miles east of Ravenna.

The motorcycles were eastbound and the Saturn Vue was westbound.

The Saturn's driver, who was not identified by the patrol Saturday, was taken into custody by Ravenna police while emergency medical teams worked on the injured.

Harris said the motorcyclists were headed for a chicken roast being put on by another club in Warren.

Charlestown Fire Chief Rick Grund said five people were transported. Two helicopters were used to take the most critically injured. A hard downpour about 6 p.m. briefly interrupted the transport operation.

One of the bikes burst into flames after sliding into the guardrail.

Two people, a man and a woman, were thrown over the guardrail down a steep embankment. Both were critically injured.

Witnesses said at least one of the women riders tried to assault the driver when he got out of his SUV.

Emergency units from six communities responded to the crash: Charlestown, Randolph, Ravenna, Ravenna Township, Rootstown and Streetsboro.