COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A teenager is in custody following a crash that killed two people on Saturday afternoon.
Columbus Police reported that the 17-year-old male was fleeing from officers who attempted a traffic stop. The crash occurred at the intersection of Hamilton and 19th Avenues.
The victims, identified as 71-year-old Franklin Ward and 52-year-old Tessa Berry, both of Columbus, were in a Saturn traveling northbound. Witnesses stated the teenager was driving westbound on 19th Avenue and failed to yield at a stop sign, colliding with the Saturn.
Berry died at the scene, while Ward was transported to Grant Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities noted that the initial attempt to stop the Prius was made near Cleveland and Maynard Avenues due to suspicions regarding its involvement in a prior crime. Officers did not pursue the vehicle following the driver's rapid departure.
Three occupants of the Prius, including the 17-year-old driver, were taken into custody. The intersection remained closed for several hours as investigators from the Franklin County Coroner's Office and the Highway Patrol processed the scene.