The Richland County community is in mourning after the death of a young police officer killed in an automobile crash yesterday morning. According to the FOX8 report, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the incident that occurred on U.S. Route 42 in Morrow County around 5:32 a.m.
Officer Summer Kennard, who was just 20 years old and served part-time with the Bellville Police Department since 2024, was driving a 2010 Toyota RAV4 when it veered off the right side of the road and, after overcorrecting crossed left of center into the oncoming traffic, where it was struck by a 2013 Ford F-150 driven by a 63-year-old man who sustained minor injuries in the accident but the patrol does not believe alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash. Kennard was taken to Morrow County Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries, becoming a tragic addition to the lineage of law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
As detailed by WKYC, Kennard was not only affiliated with the Bellville Police Department but also worked part-time for the Butler police force. The dual connection emphasizes the extent of the loss for the local law enforcement community, with her six-month tenure marking a budding career cut grievously short.
Expressions of condolence have poured in from across the state, "Officer Summer Kennard being a Police Officer for the Village of Butler will be missed beyond words and the impact she left on the Village will be remembered for years," Butler Police Chief Eric Winbigler said in a statement, further highlighting the deep void her passing has left in the small community where she served, according to a WKYC report. The Bellville Police Department echoed this sentiment on Facebook, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Kennard's Family and Friends" the department said through social media, acknowledging the heavy hearts within the ranks as reported by Cleveland19.
