Suspected drunken driver strikes police car, injures officers, prisoner

Two Columbus police officers and a suspect they were transporting to the Franklin County jail suffered minor injuries early Friday morning after a suspected drunken driver struck their cruiser.

The crash happened around 2:45 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Marconi Boulevard and West Broad Street in Downtown. Columbus police said the two officers were transporting a suspect from Columbus police headquarters to the jail. A sedan headed west on Broad Street struck the cruiser in the side. Police said the driver of the sedan attempted to drive away, but other officers in the area stopped it about a half-mile away.

The driver of the sedan then attempted to run away on foot, leading to a brief foot chase, but they were eventually taken into custody.

The officers and the suspect who were in the cruiser were all taken to area hospitals in stable condition for treatment of their injuries. The 21-year-old driver of the sedan, who is from Powell, was also taken to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He could face charges including operating a vehicle under the influence.

It is the second time in less than a week that officers were injured after a crash involving a cruiser. On Tuesday night, two Columbus police officers were injured after their cruiser struck a wheel that was on the highway. The crash happened around 8:20 p.m. Tuesday on Interstate 70 westbound. The wheel had separated from a disabled vehicle that was on the shoulder of the highway. The two officers in that cruiser were treated for minor injuries at an area hospital and released.

bbruner@dispatch.com