ENGLEWOOD, Ohio -- Englewood Police said an apparently simple traffic violation may be to blame for an overnight collision that sent a man to a local hospital.

The collision involved a car and a sem and happened at the intersection of Taywood and Wenger roads.

The car hit the driver's side of the semi, knocking off a metal protective plate that covers a side diesel fuel tank, but otherwise doing no damage to the truck.

The car, however, crumpled during the collision. The vehicle's hood was ripped off and several side panels and a bumper were also knocked off.

Police said when they arrived the driver of the car, while not trapped, was still sitting in the vehicle.

Paramedics gently removed him from the wreckage and onto a stretcher, then placed him into an ambulance for the trip to a hospital.

Officers said the driver of the car may have suffered serious injuries. They also said he is most likely to blame for the collision and could receive a citation.

Sgt. Eric Totel said, "The car would have had a flashing red light, which indicates a full stop and the semi driver would have had a flashing yellow light, which is proceed through the intersection."

Totel said it looks like the driver of the car did not brake at that flashing red light and drove into the semi.

He said, "It's just important that everyone remembers back to driver's education, that a flashing red light is just like a regualr red light or a stop sign. You stop for it, wait for traffic to clear, then proceed through but not until it's clear."

The driver of the semi was not injured in the collision.

Investigators said they do not believe injuries to the driver of the car are life-threatening.