Updated March 26, 2026, 9:52 a.m. ET
One person died after a single-vehicle crash at 6:34 a.m. March 26 on State Route 161 near I-270 in northeast Columbus.
According to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, an eastbound Ford Maverick went off the south side of Route 161 just east of Sunbury Road and struck a guardrail.
Medics transported the driver to Mount Carmel East Hospital in critical condition; the driver was pronounced dead at 6:49 a.m., authorities said.
All eastbound lanes of Route 161 were closed for about three hours, and the ramps from Interstate 270 to Route 161 east were also closed. The roadway reopened just after 9:30 a.m., according to the Sheriff's Office.
An Ohio Department of Transportation traffic map showed significant congestion on Route 161 and the nearby I-270/Route 161 interchange around 8 a.m.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is investigating. Anyone with information can call the Sheriff's Office Crash Investigation Unit at 614-525-6113.