ELYRIA, Ohio — A 15-year-old boy is recovering after being struck Sept. 27 by an Elyria police car.
The incident happened at the scene of an earlier accident involving a 2010 Honda Accord that investigators said crashed into a 2017 Ford Expedition on West Avenue near 11th Street.
Two people in the Ford were injured.
Monday, The Elyria Police Department and Lorain Police Department confirmed the Honda had been stolen from a gas station on Grove Ave. in Lorain, and the driver/suspect fled the area on foot. The suspect still hasn't been identified or caught.
Elyria Police said in a statement, "Other patrol officers responded to the area as backup in an attempt to locate the fleeing suspect. At the same time, a 15-year-old male that was not involved in the motor vehicle crash was standing behind the Honda. The teenager ran across West Ave. and was struck by an Elyria Police Officer who was operating a marked police cruiser with his overhead lights activated."
The department said the officer and pedestrian crash was being investigated and, upon completion, would be turned over to the Elyria Law Director's Office along with the officer's body and dash camera footage for review. The officer was placed on administrative leave per department policy.
On Sept. 28, News 5 spoke to Richard Landing, who witnessed the teen get hit. Landing said they were trying to help people trapped in the Ford.
"Me and him was trying to get those doors open as soon as we can so they can actually get out," Landing said, "But me and him couldn't get the doors open. So, I hopped in back seat. He was able to go across the street. He looked both ways, and the cop cruiser hit him… hit him hard."
Ida Williams witnessed the teen get hit.
"He was laying right there like I said by the pole," Williams said. "He moved, so I was like 'OK he's alive.' Because I was scared, he was dead."
Captain James Welsh said at last check from over the weekend, the injured teen was "stable." Specifics about the teen's injuries haven't been released.
Welsh said the officer involved in the pedestrian crash was going 31 miles per hour in the 35 miles per hour zone.
He said an internal review would occur, looking into whether the officer followed department policy and if anything could have been done to prevent the incident. Welsh said corrective action and/or formal discipline could happen if necessary.
Tim Dimoff, a national law enforcement and security expert, said police officers don't always have to activate lights and sirens.
"Lights and sirens are when you go over speed limits, when you have to go beyond the norms of driving or… and when you're also in a rush and need to get there faster," Dimoff said. "Those lights and sirens assist you and have people get out of their way."
Dimoff said an objective investigation will examine the officer and pedestrian's actions.
"His [15-year-old's] intentions were good, but he probably was in a little bit too much of a rush, and he did not use good care and common sense to be on the lookout for other traffic," Dimoff said.
Williams is wishing the teen a speedy recovery.
"I said superman would have had to really, really, really be on his P's and Q's," Williams said. "It happened so fast."
Lorain Police Department Report
A report from the Lorain Police Department provides more details about the stolen vehicle. It states that on Sept. 27, a Lorain man was driving a Honda owned by his employer, parked at a gas pump at Fuel 57 on Grove Avenue, and went inside to speak with the clerk.
The report states, "After a few moments he then noticed the car was gone."
Police said the Lorain man called his brother, who came to pick him up from the gas station, and they "began driving around looking for the stolen car."
The police report states upon reviewing the gas station video, it was learned the vehicle was stolen at 3:53 p.m., and the Lorain man driving it didn't report it stolen until 4:23 p.m., about 8 minutes after the crash at West Avenue and 11th Street in Elyria.
The police report states the employer said the Lorain man had been advised "he wasn't allowed to drive the cars on the lot as he was a suspended driver."
The police report states the Lorain man had 42 total suspensions, with at least 34 still open and pending reinstatement fines or fees. The Lorain man was issued a citation for driving under suspension and an unattended motor vehicle.
