9-year-old girl dies after being struck by a vehicle

A 9-year-old girl was struck and killed Tuesday afternoon after Columbus police say she darted into the road in front of a vehicle.

Columbus police said the crash occurred around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 400 block of South Napoleon Avenue on the city’s East Side.

Lela Jackson, 51, of the Hilltop, was driving a 2009 Nissan Versa northbound on South Napoleon Avenue when she told police she slowed down because she saw children playing on the sidewalk.

Jackson and a witness told police that 9-year-old Sariya Taylor, of the East Side, “darted out into the road” and was struck by Jackson’s vehicle.

A crash report filed by Columbus police said Jackson immediately braked and then attempted to move slowly again, striking a parked 2003 Ford E250 pickup truck and Taylor for a second time.

Taylor was rushed to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she died at 5:13 p.m. Tuesday.

One of the witnesses to the incident was a 16-year-old relative of Taylor’s.

Jackson, who was not hurt, remained at the scene and spoke with the Columbus police Accident Investigation Unit, which continues to investigate the crash.

Lela Jackson and a witness told police that 9-year-old Sariya Taylor, of the East Side, “darted out into the road” and was struck by Jackson’s vehicle.

Unborn baby killed in Monday morning crash

A 19-year-old woman was critically injured and her unborn baby was killed after the car she was a passenger in was struck head-on on Monday morning.

The crash occurred in the northbound lanes of Interstate 270, south of the Morse Road exit, around 1:20 a.m. Monday.

According to Columbus police, 28year-old Najma Farah, of Hilliard, was driving south in the northbound lanes in a 2017 Toyota Camry when she struck a 2007 Honda Civic head-on. The Civic, which was headed the correct direction, was driven by 19-yearold Branyon Fletcher, of the Northeast Side.

Fletcher’s front seat passenger, 19year-old Trishell Stevens, of Hilliard, was five months pregnant.

Fletcher was taken to Ohiohealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in lifethreatening condition but was later upgraded, according to police.

Stevens was taken to Mount Carmel East Hospital in critical and lifethreatening condition. Upon arrival at the hospital, doctors confirmed her baby had died.

Farja was taken to Mount Carmel East in stable condition. There were no other passengers in her vehicle.

The Franklin County Coroner’s office is conducting an investigation into the baby’s death.

Police said Farja was arrested for suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence but was released, pending a direct indictment by a Franklin County grand jury at a later date.

As of Wednesday morning, there have been 39 people killed in crashes in Columbus in 2022. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner