Distracted driver struck 3 pedestrians in deadly wreck near Lakebottom, police say

A distracted driver struck three people and a parked vehicle Sunday evening in a deadly crash near Lakebottom, authorities said.

Rebecca Hastie, 62, was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:39 p.m. Sunday, said Muscogee County Deputy Coroner Charles Newton. Two other people reported being injured, but only one of them was treated at Columbus Midtown Medical Center.

Columbus police were called to the intersection of Cherokee Avenue and Garrard Street around 7 p.m. Sunday to investigate a crash involving two vehicles and three pedestrians.

Officials said an unoccupied 1992 Dodge Dakota was parked in the outside lane on Cherokee Avenue with its headlights and tail lights on. It was near a sign indicating that there was a crosswalk ahead.

Hastie, a 47-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman were about 18 feet behind the vehicle on Cherokee Avenue.

They were standing around an injured dog in the outside lane when a 38-year-old man driving a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe southbound on Cherokee Avenue approached them. He struck all three pedestrians, killing Hastie and injuring the 47-year-old, authorities said.

The driver said he saw the Dodge stopped in the outside lane ahead of his vehicle and switched to the inside lane, striking all three pedestrians. He said he didn’t see them until after the collision, according to a police report.

The driver, who suffered minor airbag burns, told authorities the crash caused his vehicle to jerk right and strike the Dodge’s bumper. The impact sent the Dodge into a drainage ditch on the side of the road.

Officials said the driver being distracted at the time was a contributing factor of the wreck, but they didn’t elaborate.

The 47-year-old pedestrian was transported to Columbus Midtown Medical Center, where he was treated for neck, shoulder, wrist and elbow injuries before being released. The other pedestrian didn’t report any injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

This story was originally published November 6, 2017 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Distracted driver struck 3 pedestrians in deadly wreck near Lakebottom, police say."