LEBANON, Ohio — Three people were hospitalized after a driver traveling southbound on OH-48 in Lebanon crossed into the northbound lanes, hitting two other vehicles early Tuesday morning.
Ohio State Highway Patrol said its Lebanon Post was dispatched to OH-48 at 3:50 a.m. Tuesday for a reported reckless driver in a Chevrolet Suburban.
"It got called in as an impaired, reckless driver on our roadways," OSHP Sgt. Tyler Ross said. "There was a vehicle that was following (the driver). It accelerated. We lost sight of the vehicle."
Just two minutes later, they learned that the driver was involved in a crash involving two other cars just north of the OH-48 intersection with Arrow Springs Boulevard in Lebanon.
"So obviously, we weren't able to get to it in time, but that's a reason to, if you see something, say something," Ross said. "Don't expect that somebody else is going to call it in, or we may have received 10 calls on it. We'd rather receive 10 calls and be able to get that out there as quick as we can."
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A preliminary investigation determined the driver, traveling southbound on OH-48, traveled off the left side of the road and through the median into the northbound lanes. The driver then hit a Chevrolet Traverse traveling in the left lane head-on before then hitting a Honda Civic traveling in the right lane.
After hitting both cars, the Suburban overturned multiple times before stopping in the corner of the intersection. The Traverse also came to a stop in the middle of the intersection, while the Civic came to rest in the northbound lanes just north of the intersection.
Troopers say the man driving the Suburban then ran away from the crash on foot. However, he was located at Bethesda Medical Center shortly after the crash. OSHP said he was initially treated for minor injuries but was later airlifted to TriHealth Bethesda North Hospital for more treatment.
According to Ross, OSHP will refer charges to the Warren County Prosecutor's Office in this case once the investigation wraps up. We reached out to the office on Tuesday for comment but did not hear back.
"We do believe that impairment was a factor in the crash," Ross said. "So, with that, it's going to be presented straight to the Warren County Prosecutor's Office and go straight to a grand jury and be a direct indictment."
The driver of the Traverse was taken to Atrium Medical Center with serious injuries, while the Civic driver was taken to Bethesda North for serious injuries. According to an OSHP spokesperson, both drivers hit are in stable condition.
Both lanes were shut down during the crash investigation, but have since reopened. The crash remains under investigation by OSHP's Lebanon Post.
