A northbound Honda Civic collided with a semi-truck on Interstate 71 near Polaris Parkway early Saturday morning, leaving the car's driver in critical condition. Emergency crews responded to the scene as the crash snarled part of one of Columbus's busiest commuter corridors before sunrise.
According to WSYX, Columbus police said the crash happened around 3:35 a.m. when a 2020 Honda Civic traveling northbound slowed or stopped before attempting to change lanes. The move put the car directly into the path of a semi-truck that was also heading north on I-71.
The front of the semi-truck struck the right rear of the Honda, sending the smaller car veering off the roadway before it came to a stop, the station's report states. The impact point suggests the Civic had only partially completed its lane change when the truck made contact.
Driver Rushed to Grant Medical Center
The Honda's driver was rushed to Grant Medical Center in critical condition, per the same account. No further details on the driver's identity or condition have been released.
The semi-truck driver pulled over after the crash and was unharmed, the report notes. Investigators have not yet said whether any citations have been issued, and the crash remains under investigation.
Not the First Serious Crash Near This Stretch
The Polaris Parkway interchange has seen other serious wrecks in recent years. In August 2026, a collision involving two semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle closed northbound I-71 near Polaris Parkway, according to The Columbus Dispatch. A year earlier, in November 2025, a fatal crash involving an SUV and a semi near Polaris was reported by WSYX, and in November 2021, the Dispatch reported that three people were killed in a two-vehicle crash on I-71 near the same interchange.
Saturday's crash adds to that list of serious incidents along the corridor, though the evidence does not establish a broader pattern in crash frequency or severity near the interchange. As of the WSYX report, the investigation into Saturday's collision was still active, with no additional details released about its cause.
