Lake County deputy and driver escape oncoming car that hit cruiser and disabled sedan, sheriff’s office says

PAINESVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WOIO) - A deputy and driver of a crashed car were forced to jump out of the road when an oncoming car was coming towards them at “a high rate of speed” before clipping the marked cruiser and slamming into the already disabled car, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

A car driving towards a crash scene at “a high rate of speed” forced a deputy and driver of the crashed car to jump out of the road

Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were sent to the area of SR-2 between Richmond Street and Fairport Nursery Road in Painesville Township for a reported disabled vehicle in the eastbound lanes at 2:10 a.m. on March 21, Road Patrol Commander and Capt. Robert Izzo said.

Deputies arrived and saw a red four-door sedan damaged after apparently striking the median guardrail before coming to a stop across both eastbound lanes, according to Izzo.

The red sedan completely blocked the highway and which caused a hazardous situation on the roadway, Izzo stated.

Izzo said the first deputy to arrive parked the marked cruiser with all emergency lights activated between both eastbound lanes to stop any traffic from driving through the scene.

More deputies were on their way to the scene to help shut down the highway, said Izzo. Additional Deputies were in route to the scene to also assist with the highway closure.

As the deputy talked to the driver of the red sedan, a gray two-door Dodge was headed towards them and through the scene at a high rate of speed, Izzo said.

The Dodge clipped the marked Lake County Sheriff’s Office cruiser and slammed into the disabled red sedan that the driver had just been taken out of, according to Izzo.

The oncoming Dodge was driving at an estimated 50-60 mph, Izzo stated, and did not appear to take any evasive action prior to impact.

Izzo said the deputy and driver of the red sedan were forced to jump from the roadway to avoid being struck by the oncoming Dodge.

Both the deputy and the driver escaped without injury, Izzo confirmed.

“While the incident remains under investigation, we highlight this incident as a reminder to be aware of emergency vehicles while driving,” Izzo stated. “Both drivers involved were cited for their respective actions which led to this dangerous situation.”

Copyright 2022 WOIO. All rights reserved.