When an individual is involved in a car accident in Ohio, it is illegal for that person to leave the scene of the accident if anyone is injured in the crash. A man accused of leaving the scene of a fatal car accident has recently been arrested. He now faces Ohio criminal charges for his alleged actions.
Shortly before 11:30 p.m., the 33-year-old man was reportedly driving at a high rate of speed and also may have been intoxicated when he approached a railroad crossing. When his pickup truck hit the train tracks, the man lost control of the vehicle. The truck slammed into a tree, and it came to a stop just before hitting a residence. His front seat passenger — a 23-year-old woman — was killed in the crash.
The driver, however, was nowhere to be found when emergency responders arrived at the scene. The police were able to broadcast photos of the suspect, and three days after the crash, several citizens claim that they spotted him at the local grocery store. The local police were able to apprehend him and take him into police custody.
The driver faces two Ohio felony criminal charges, including leaving the scene of an accident and aggravated vehicular homicide, and he may eventually face drunk driving charges as well, depending on the outcome of the investigation. Not only will the man have to go through the criminal court system for his actions leading to and following the car accident, but he may also have to go through the civil court system. The family of the woman who lost her life in the crash may elect to file an Ohio wrongful death suit against the driver.
Source: whio.com, “Driver arrested in deadly weekend crash“, Nov. 9, 2014