A man using a marked crosswalk on Columbus’ North Side was left with life-altering injuries after a dark-colored SUV hit him, threw him to the pavement, and then took off westbound without stopping, according to Columbus police and Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.
The felony hit-skip happened Jan. 24 at about 6:05 p.m. Police say the man was crossing Morse Road from the north side to the south with the walk signal activated when an SUV making a right turn from Northtowne Boulevard onto westbound Morse Road struck him. The vehicle kept going west, and investigators still do not know its make or model. Central Ohio Crime Stoppers released a surveillance still from the scene as part of the public appeal, according to WSYX.
Central Ohio Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to an arrest or indictment. Tips can be submitted online at Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, through the free P3 Tips mobile app, or by calling 614-461-TIPS (8477), per the organization. Anyone with footage or information is also asked to contact the Columbus Division of Police’s Accident Investigation Unit at 614-645-4767, according to the City of Columbus.
Bigger Picture
Hit-and-run crashes account for roughly one in four pedestrian deaths nationwide, and light-truck vehicles such as SUVs are disproportionately involved in severe pedestrian crashes, the Governors Highway Safety Association reports in an analysis of NHTSA data. Those national trends, which include higher nighttime risk and a greater share of larger vehicles on the road, are part of why detectives place so much emphasis on locating surveillance and dash-cam footage in hit-and-run cases.
Legal Implications
Under Ohio law, a driver who fails to stop after an accident can be charged with "failure to stop after an accident," with penalties that escalate based on the outcome of the crash. Property damage alone can bring a first-degree misdemeanor, while collisions that cause serious physical harm or death can rise to felony charges. The Ohio Revised Code (ORC 4549.02) also requires courts to impose a class-five driver’s license suspension for convictions in these cases.
How to Help Investigators
Investigators say even small details can matter, including the vehicle's direction of travel, visible damage, partial plate numbers, or unedited video footage. Tipsters can remain anonymous through Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, which accepts online tips, submissions through the P3 Tips app, or calls to 614-461-TIPS. You can also contact the Accident Investigation Unit directly at 614-645-4767.
Columbus police say the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made. For now, detectives are betting that the reward, along with the released images, will shake loose new leads as they canvass the area and continue reviewing footage.
