A pedestrian was critically injured early Monday morning after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 71 South in downtown Columbus, triggering a brief shutdown of the highway while crews investigated. Columbus police officers were dispatched to the crash near East Long Street around 6:10 a.m.
According to 10TV, the pedestrian was taken to a hospital in critical condition, per a city public safety dispatcher. A separate report from ABC6 identified the crash site as southbound I-71 at East Long Street near mile marker 108, and said the victim was rushed to Grant Medical Center in critical condition.
What Investigators Know So Far
ABC6 reported that the car involved in the crash stayed on the scene, though 10TV's dispatcher-sourced account said it was not known how many vehicles were involved or what led to the crash. The cause remains unconfirmed as of Monday morning.
The closure affected all lanes of I-71 South from I-670 to East Broad Street, according to 10TV, which cited a dispatcher confirming the stretch was shut down briefly before reopening. The same dispatcher later confirmed that the I-71 South stretch between I-670 and East Broad Street was back open.
Deadly Crash North Of The City
Pedestrians walking on or near I-71 have proven especially vulnerable elsewhere in central Ohio this year. NBC4 reported that a person walking along I-71 near Polaris Parkway, north of Columbus, was killed Sunday night after walking into the southbound lanes from the west side of the highway while a 2013 Toyota Sienna was traveling south. That station reported the pedestrian was struck at approximately 10:35 p.m. and pronounced dead by arriving medical personnel six minutes later, and that the driver remained at the scene to speak with investigators from the Accident Investigation Unit.
No cause has been determined for Monday's downtown crash, and it remains unclear whether anyone has been cited. Anyone seeking broader context on pedestrian crash patterns can consult the Ohio State Highway Patrol's crash dashboard, which tracks five years of statewide crash statistics by severity, roadway, and time. The Ohio Department of Public Safety also maintains a searchable database of crash reports for the public.
