April 25, 2026, 10:34 a.m. ET
A predawn, two-vehicle crash April 23 at Havens Corners Road and North Wagonner Road in Jefferson Township killed one driver and critically injured another.
According to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office crash report, Lakesha Marbury, 43, of Etna, was northbound in a 2015 Honda Pilot about 5:50 a.m. when she ran a red light and struck an eastbound 2015 Acura TLX driven by Kennedy O. Nkem, 21, of Columbus.
The impact pushed the Acura off the roadway into an electric utility pole at the intersection's northwest corner, bringing the pole down onto Marbury's SUV, authorities said.
Power was shut down so Jefferson Township Fire Department medics could reach Marbury, who was pronounced dead at 6:55 a.m., the sheriff's office said. Nkem was transported in critical condition to Mount Carmel East Hospital.
The intersection, about 1 mile west of the Franklin County–Licking County line, was closed for hours while sheriff's deputies investigated. A contractor later replaced the damaged pole and rewired connections, authorities said.