A 27-year-old woman who was struck by a vehicle on Ridge Road in Fowler Township has died. The man accused of hitting the woman is facing charges for allegedly fleeing the scene. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the woman passed away at St. Elizabeth Hospital as a result of injuries suffered in the accident.
A spokesperson for the highway patrol added the following:
“She was running against traffic. She was not in the roadway whatsoever when she was struck.”
It is believed that the 43-year-old man driving the vehicle that hit the woman never stopped to provide assistance. However, he was chased by a witness to the accident who eventually stopped him and called 911.
The witness told a 911 operator that the man appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, saying the following in the phone call:
“He ran from me for about three miles after he hit this lady, and I stopped him, and I said, ‘You just hit that lady and killed her,’ and he said, ‘I know.'”
The man has been charged with felony leaving the scene of a crash and aggravated vehicular homicide. While investigators wait for results of a blood alcohol test, a spokesperson for the highway patrol said that the driver was “extremely impaired.”
Regardless of the roadway or location, cars and pedestrians need to share the road at all times. When one person makes a mistake, such as a driver getting behind the wheel when impaired, the tragic end result can be injury or death.
Source: WKBN.com, “Cortland woman, struck by car in Fowler Twp., dies,” Chelsea Simeon and Julie Bercik, March 02, 2016