An 11-year-old girl was killed and a woman was injured when the car they were in collided Tuesday morning with a tractor-trailer truck on U.S. 23 on Columbus’ Far North Side.
A portion of U.S. 23/High Street was closed for hours in both directions between East Powell and Lazelle Roads following the crash, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Additionally, the ramps from Interstate-270 east and west to U.S. 23 north were also closed.
Hours after the crash, the Worthington School District sent a district-wide email saying that a sixth grade student at Perry Middle School had been killed in a car crash earlier in the day. However, the message did not specify where the crash occurred, and a spokeswoman with the district and emergency responders from the city could not confirm that it was the crash on U.S. 23 when reached by The Dispatch.
The statement, signed by Superintendent Trent Bowers, indicates that the girl’s stepmother is also an employee in the district. Worthington Schools indicated in the message that it would make grief counselors and support staff available for staff and students.
“The student was a beloved member of our school community, and her passing has left a void that will be felt by all those who knew her,” Bowers wrote in the district email. “Please keep the family, friends, and loved ones affected by this loss in your thoughts.”
The Columbus Division of Fire was dispatched at 6:37 a.m. to the site of the crash, said Battalion Chief Steve Martin.
Once on scene, first-responders pulled the woman from her vehicle. The 11-year-old girl, who was a passenger in the car, was pronounced dead at 6:58 a.m. at the scene, Martin said.
Investigators determined that the crash occurred when the woman and the girl were headed north on High Street and, while attempting to turn left onto Lazelle Road, collided with a southbound tractor-trailer, according to a media release from the Columbus Division of Police.
Both the woman and the driver of the tractor-trailer were transported to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital and are in stable condition, according to police.
The identifies of those involved have not yet been released.
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Girl dead following crash on U.S. 23 on Columbus' Far North Side – The Columbus Dispatch
