A Ross Township police officer was hospitalized Thursday evening after a driver struck him while he was directing traffic for the Ross Local School District homecoming parade. The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and police suspect the driver was impaired by drugs.
According to Fox19, the officer was taken to the hospital after being hit by a driver during the parade. Officers were directing traffic at the intersection of Cincinnati-Brookville Road and Hamilton Cleves Road, and the incident happened at approximately 5:39 p.m. on Thursday. The outlet reports the driver was traveling westbound on Cincinnati-Brookville Road and attempted to turn southbound onto Hamilton Cleves Road, striking the officer, who was standing in the northbound lanes, police say.
As journal-news.com reported, the officer was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The identity of the driver has not been released, and drug impairment of the driver is suspected, though that outlet's report does not indicate whether any test has confirmed impairment.
Highway Patrol Takes Over the Investigation
The incident is under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the same report notes. WLWT similarly reported that the officer was treated at a hospital after being hit by a suspected impaired driver during the Thursday parade.
Fox19 reports that witnesses with information should contact the OSHP Butler County-Hamilton Post at (513) 863-4606. Beyond the general description of the officer's injuries as non-life-threatening, it remains unclear whether the officer has since been released from the hospital, and no details about the driver's name, age or any potential charges have been made public.
Impaired Driving Remains a Persistent Problem Statewide
The case adds to a broader pattern the Ohio State Highway Patrol has tracked across the state. The agency notes that drivers operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of substances threaten the safety and security of Ohio citizens, and it maintains an OVI Dashboard tracking impaired driving violations and crashes statewide.
A December 2025 traffic safety bulletin from the agency, found at dam.assets.ohio.gov, reported that since 2020, 69,061 crashes on Ohio roadways have involved alcohol and/or drug use by at least one driver or pedestrian, resulting in 3,896 deaths. No further details about the parade itself, including organizers, attendance or road closures, have been released.
