A routine walk with a shopping cart in Columbus' Eastmoor neighborhood turned into a brutal scene on Barnett Road Friday, when a pedestrian was hit by one car and then had their legs run over by another that took off, according to police.
Columbus police say a northbound Honda Accord struck the person, who was walking with a shopping cart, and knocked them into the roadway. While the victim was lying there, a second northbound vehicle ran over their legs and kept going. The pedestrian was taken to a hospital with serious leg injuries. Other northbound drivers who stopped at the scene were not hurt.
According to the report, the impact sent the shopping cart into the northbound lane, where it hit another vehicle. That driver was not reported injured. The crash remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Columbus Division of Police Accident Investigation Unit at (614) 645-4767, per the Columbus Division of Police, or to call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-8477.
What the police report says
According to a Columbus Division of Police incident report, as reported by NBC4, the pedestrian was walking southbound in the southbound lane of Barnett Road, just south of Bolton Avenue, when a northbound Honda Accord hit them and knocked them to the ground.
The same report states that a second northbound vehicle then drove over the victim's legs while they were still lying in the roadway and continued north on Barnett Road without stopping. Investigators say they are actively seeking camera footage and eyewitness accounts as the case remains open.
Pedestrian safety and local projects
The city has already flagged Barnett Road for pedestrian safety upgrades, including a planned sidewalk project on what officials label the Vision Zero High Injury Network, according to the city's project fact sheet. That document details proposed sidewalk construction along Barnett Road between Astor Avenue and Main Street and connects the corridor to broader efforts to close sidewalk gaps and improve crossings.
This latest crash underscores long-standing safety concerns on busy east-side arterials, even as investigators continue asking the public for tips that could help track down the hit-and-run driver.
