COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A 17-year-old is in custody following a crash that resulted in two fatalities Saturday afternoon.
According to Columbus Police, the youth was fleeing from officers during an attempted traffic stop when the incident occurred at the intersection of Hamilton and 19th Avenues. The teen was traveling westbound on 19th Avenue and failed to yield at a stop sign, colliding with a Saturn traveling northbound.
The victims have been identified as 71-year-old Franklin Ward and 52-year-old Tessa Berry, both of Columbus. Berry, a passenger in the Saturn, was pronounced dead at the scene. Ward, the driver, was transported to Grant Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities reported that officers attempted to stop a Prius near Cleveland and Maynard Avenues due to suspicions of prior criminal activity. The driver accelerated rapidly, preventing officers from initiating a pursuit. Three individuals from the Prius, including the 17-year-old, were taken into custody.
The intersection was closed for several hours as the Franklin County Coroner's Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol conducted an investigation.