Two die in separate Southeast Side crashes; police investigating
Two people were killed in separate crashes about 40 minutes apart on the city's Southeast Side Monday night.
The first crash happened around 9:50 p.m. on Refugee Road near Schwartz Road. According to a crash report, 20-year-old Oddessie Teague, of North Linden, and 21-year-old Dante Mackey, of the Southeast Side, were walking on Refugee Road when they were struck by a 2004 Toyota Camry driven by 24-year-old Jericka Watkins, of the East Side.
Teague and Mackey were not at an intersection and were not in a crosswalk at the time of the crash.
Teague and Mackey were both taken to Ohiohealth Grant Medical Center where Teague succumbed to her injuries. Mackey remains hospitalized.
Watkins remained at the scene and was not injured. The crash remains under investigation.
About 40 minutes later, around 10:35 p.m., police were called to another crash on the Southeast Side. The crash occurred on Interstate 270 eastbound north of Route 33.
Police said a tractor-trailer being driven by 37-year-old Yuriy Nikutin, of Illinois, was going north in the right lane of I-270 near the Interstate 70 interchange. The tractor-trailer struck a disabled 2013 Chevrolet Impala that was sticking out from the berm into the right lane of traffic.
The driver of the Impala, 18-year-old Chandra Basnet, of Reynoldsburg, was ejected out of the open driver's side door. Basnet was then struck by an unidentified vehicle that fled the scene.
The tractor-trailer continued north and then struck a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu that had been involved in a previous non-injury crash with Basnet's vehicle and was parked on the berm. The occupant of the Malibu was not injured.
The tractor-trailer stopped north of the Malibu and stayed at the scene.
Basnet was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:46 p.m. Monday.
As of Tuesday morning, there have been 16 fatal crashes in Columbus in 2021 with 18 people killed as a result.
Anyone with information about the vehicle that struck Basnet and fled the scene is asked to call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner