FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio — A Franklin County officer and Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper were involved in a crash while pursuing a stolen vehicle early Sunday morning.
OSHP said troopers were notified of an armed robbery suspect in a stolen vehicle in the Tri-State just after 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
The vehicle was located just after 4:15 a.m. on I-75 in Butler County, where local officials attempted a traffic stop. However, the driver kept going, leading a police pursuit. Officials eventually ended the pursuit as the driver kept traveling northbound on I-75.
Officers with the Franklin Division of Police located the car once again on I-75 in Warren County. They started to pursue, traveling to mile marker 54 in Dayton, when OSHP said a marked Franklin Division of Police cruiser veered into the left shoulder. The officer then traveled back into the roadway and hit a Mack Anthem tractor-trailer traveling in the middle lane.
OSHP said the officer then traveled back to the left lane, hitting the snow on the shoulder again before traveling back into the road, where it was hit by a marked OSHP cruiser being driven by a trooper assisting with the pursuit. The Franklin officer then hit the concrete barrier.
Video of the crash shows the officer's windshield completely shattered. The officer can then be heard saying, "A semi cut me off — crash out, crash out." When asked if he was OK, the officer said he was fine.
The Franklin officer was taken to Miami Valley Hospital for what officials called minor injuries. Neither the OSHP trooper nor the tractor-trailer driver was injured.
According to a report, other agencies were able to locate the stolen vehicle again. However, they were unable to locate the suspect.
OSHP's Hamilton Post is investigating the crash.
