A violent wreck on Columbus’s west side sent two people to the hospital Saturday after a car slammed into a large pole-mounted sign and rolled into a parking lot. The impact brought the sign crashing down onto the passenger-side roof, and when emergency crews arrived, they found the driver had already taken off on foot. The front-seat passenger was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, while a rear-seat passenger was taken in stable condition.
According to NBC4, Columbus police said the driver was heading westbound on West Mound Street just past Harrison Pike in a 2009 Ford Edge at a high rate of speed when the vehicle ran off the roadway, began to roll and struck the pole supporting the sign. The vehicle came to rest in a parking lot in front of 1554 W. Mound St., where the fallen sign landed on the roof on the passenger side. NBC4 reports the driver ran away from the scene on foot, and the department’s Accident Investigation Unit is working the case.
Per the Columbus Division of Police, the Accident Investigation Unit responded to the crash and is processing the scene. Anyone with information is asked to contact the unit at 614-645-4767 or submit an anonymous tip to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.
What leaving the scene can mean
Under the Ohio Revised Code, drivers involved in a crash are required to stop and provide identifying information. Walking away is not just bad form, it can be a felony when someone is hurt, with potential prison time and a license suspension. See the statute that governs duties after an accident in Ohio Revised Code section 4549.02.
What investigators are looking for
Detectives are canvassing nearby businesses in search of surveillance footage and are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to share dash-cam or cellphone video. Police have not released the driver’s identity, and tips or evidence can be called in to the numbers listed above as the investigation continues.
