Police credit rear impact guard after trooper survives violent rear-end crash with big rig
An Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) trooper survived a serious collision with a semi trailer on Wednesday morning.
The crash occurred shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday, December 15, on I-70 near downtown Columbus, Ohio.
Twenty-five year old Trooper Jarid Fitzpatrick was operating an OSHP cruiser in the westbound lanes of the interstate when he crashed into the rear of a semi truck driven by 58 year old Ohio-based driver Thomas Ervin.
The crash left the OSHP cruiser badly damaged and partially wedged under the trailer.
A trooper with Ohio State Highway Patrol is hospitalized after a serious crash on I-70 West.
We have updates on #GoodDayColumbus throughout the morning. @wsyx6 @fox28columbus pic.twitter.com/lSgS5k8zd9
— Ciara Lucas (@CiaraVLucas) December 15, 2021
Fitzpatrick was able to use his radio to call for help after the crash. He was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, but is expected to survive.
Ervin was not injured.
OSHP told local outlet ABC6 that the truck’s rear impact guard broke off when it was hit by the cruiser, but it likely saved the trooper’s life.
OSHP has confirmed that Fitzpatrick was not on a call when the crash occurred. They say that they will use dash cam footage to determine how the crash occurred.