A hit-and-run driver struck Robert Kelly and his miniature poodle, Snickerdoodle, while they were crossing Merriman Road near Memorial Parkway in Akron, killing the dog and leaving Kelly with a broken leg, a concussion and other injuries. Kelly was walking in a marked crosswalk with the walk signal when the vehicle, turning onto Memorial Parkway, struck them both and sped away without stopping.
According to a public alert posted by family member Elizabeth Lutz Kelly, the collision happened between 9:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. on Saturday at the corner of Merriman Road and Memorial Parkway, an intersection that connects Akron's Highland Square area to the Merriman Valley and serves as a gateway to Sand Run Metro Park and its pedestrian trail crossings. As reported by News 5 Cleveland, police responded to crash reports shortly after 9:45 p.m. after a 911 caller said someone had been hit by a car and that the driver had run off.
The impact threw Kelly onto the vehicle, and he said his shoulders and the back of his head hit the hood or windshield before he landed on the pavement. He remains hospitalized and said he is thankful to have survived. Snickerdoodle, whom the family had adopted less than a year earlier, did not survive the crash.
A Family Grieving and Demanding Accountability
Elizabeth Lutz Kelly described Snickerdoodle as a sweet, smart and deeply loved family member, and said the family is completely heartbroken. She returned to the crash intersection Monday searching for witnesses and said she believes the collision may have been an accident, but criticized the driver for leaving the scene without checking whether anyone was okay. Robert Kelly, for his part, wants the driver to face consequences for fleeing.
The family hopes the driver will eventually come forward, and Elizabeth Lutz Kelly said an apology would mean a great deal to them. Akron police have not released a detailed description of the vehicle beyond saying it is believed to be dark-colored, and the department has urged anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be directed to the Akron Police Department's dedicated Hit and Skip Unit, reachable at 330-375-2508, according to a notice shared in a local traffic Facebook group.
Flock Cameras Central to the Search — and to a Wider Debate
Investigators are reviewing Flock Safety camera footage in an effort to identify the fleeing vehicle, per News 5 Cleveland's reporting. Akron operates roughly 145 Flock Safety automated license plate readers citywide, a network that records passing plates and retains location data for 30 days, according to the Atlas of Surveillance. The same camera system recently helped police identify a tan Cadillac SRX in a separate fatal hit-and-run on South Main Street that killed 38-year-old Jesse McCool, a case Hoodline previously covered. Akron's Accident Reconstruction Unit also investigated a fatal hit-and-run on Russell Avenue in March that killed a 23-year-old pedestrian.
That reliance on camera technology is unfolding amid growing scrutiny. In September, Akron Independent Police Auditor Anthony Finnell launched a full audit into how the department deploys, accesses and governs the Flock network, following questions about data retention and access rules, according to Signal Akron. Around the same time, organizers with Akron Democratic Socialists of America urged City Council to cancel the city's $362,000 annual Flock Safety contract over surveillance and privacy concerns, as reported by Citizen Portal. Council members remain divided over whether to expand or scale back the camera program even as police continue to lean on it to track down fleeing drivers.
What the Driver Could Face
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 4549.02, failing to stop after an accident on a public road that causes serious physical harm is a fifth-degree felony carrying up to 12 months in prison. State law also mandates a driver's license suspension of six months to three years upon conviction, and judges are barred from suspending the first six months of that penalty, according to Ohio's revised code. Courts may additionally order restitution of up to $5,000 for economic loss tied to the crash.
For now, the Kelly family is left waiting, hoping that either a tip from the public or a hit on the Flock network will identify the driver who left their father and husband injured on the pavement and their dog dead at the scene.
