Driver charged after striking 3 pedestrians in deadly crash near Lakebottom, police say
The driver accused of striking three pedestrians in a deadly Nov. 5 crash near Lakebottom was charged three days after the incident.
John Johnson, 38, faces one count each of vehicular homicide, following too close and driving without due care. He was booked into the Muscogee County Jail.
Columbus police were called to the intersection of Cherokee Avenue and Garrard Street around 7 p.m. Nov. 5 to investigate a crash involving two vehicles and three pedestrians.
Rebecca Hastie, 62, was pronounced dead on the scene, Muscogee County Deputy Coroner Charles Newton said. Two other people reported being injured, but only one of them was treated at Columbus Midtown Medical Center.
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 as Johnson headed southbound on Cherokee Avenue in a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. He struck all three pedestrians, killing Hastie and injuring the 47-year-old, authorities said.
Johnson allegedly told police 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 culvert on the side of the road.
Officials said the driver being inattentive at the time was a contributing factor of the wreck, but they have yet to elaborate.
Sarah Robinson: 706-571-8622, @sarahR_92
This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Driver charged after striking 3 pedestrians in deadly crash near Lakebottom, police say."