MANSFIELD, Ohio—A Mansfield man died Monday morning after being struck by a vehicle traveling westbound on West Fourth Street, near the intersection of Western Avenue. The man was trying to provide aid to a pedestrian woman who had been struck by another vehicle. The accident occured around 8:30 a.m.
Members of the Mansfield police and fire departments, as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to the accident.
Mansfield police Sgt. Ken Carroll said a woman crossing West Fourth Street was struck from behind by a gray Pontiac Sunfire.
A man from a nearby mechanics shop witnessed the accident and went to provide aid to the victim. While helping the woman, a red Pontiac Grand Am traveling westbound hit the back of the Sunfire and then ran into the pedestrians, Carroll said.
The victims were transported to the OhioHealth MedCentral Hospital. The drivers of the two vehicles, not identified at this time, were not injured.
The man, who has been identified as Mansfield resident Roger Rush, Jr., 44, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, confirmed Dr. Stewart Ryckman with the Richland County Coroner’s Office. The name of the other victim has not been released.
Carroll doesn’t believe anybody involved in the incident were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. “The road conditions had a lot to do with this,” he said.
“There may be citations issued out; that’ll be later on as we decide what’s going on with this,” Carroll said in regard to the drivers.
He continued, “This is one of those things where we have people walking in the road, and why do they walk on the roads? Because nobody shovels their sidewalks. And so what we do, we end up with a lot of people walking in the roadways, and unfortunately that’s probably the only place she had to walk was the roadway, unless she wants to walk in knee-deep snow to wherever she’s trying to get to.”
“If we can do anything, shovel your sidewalks. Help the citizens of Mansfield be able to traverse wherever they’re going safely.”
This is a developing story.
