A 15-year-old boy is recovering after being struck by an Elyria police cruiser on September 27. The incident occurred while officers were responding to a crash involving a stolen vehicle on West Avenue near 11th Street.
The earlier accident involved a 2010 Honda Accord, which had been stolen from a gas station in Lorain, crashing into a 2017 Ford Expedition. Two people in the Ford were injured, and the driver of the stolen Honda fled the scene on foot, according to police reports.
As Elyria officers responded to the scene in search of the suspect, the teen, who was not involved in the crash, ran across the road near the stolen Honda and was hit by a police car with its emergency lights activated. The officer driving the cruiser has since been placed on administrative leave as the incident undergoes investigation.
Witnesses recounted the moments before the collision. Richard Landing, who was trying to assist the injured people in the Ford with the teen, described how the boy ran across the street just before the police cruiser struck him. “He looked both ways, but the cop car hit him hard,” Landing said. Another witness, Ida Williams, expressed relief when the teen showed signs of life after the crash, saying, “I was scared he was dead.”
Captain James Welsh of the Elyria Police Department confirmed that the teen was in stable condition as of the weekend, though further details about his injuries were not disclosed. Welsh added that the officer involved was driving at 31 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour zone at the time of the incident.
An internal review is being conducted to determine whether the officer followed proper procedures and if the incident could have been avoided. The department has indicated that corrective action or discipline may follow depending on the findings of the investigation.
Law enforcement expert Tim Dimoff explained that police lights and sirens are typically used when officers need to exceed normal driving speeds or respond urgently. The review will look at both the officer’s and the teen’s actions to assess what led to the incident.
As the community continues to hope for the teen’s recovery, the investigation remains ongoing. Williams, reflecting on how quickly the event unfolded, said, “It happened so fast.”
In a separate report, Lorain police provided more details about the stolen Honda. The car was taken from a gas station on Grove Avenue after the driver, who had a suspended license, left it unattended at a pump. The driver, an employee of the vehicle’s owner, was later cited for driving under suspension and leaving the car unattended.