COLUMBUS (WCMH) – A Columbus Police Officer and a tow truck driver were injured by a suspected impaired driver Saturday night on Interstate 670.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, Officer Don Paden was assisting a stranded motorist on I-670 west near Neil Avenue around 11:30pm. Officer Paden parked his cruiser behind the disabled vehicle and turned on the cruiser’s lights and CVS and requested a tow truck.
When the tow truck arrived and began to remove the disabled vehicle from the scene, another vehicle traveling west on I-670 drifted out of its lane and rear-ended Officer Paden’s cruiser, forcing the cruiser to move forward and hit both the tow truck and the tow truck’s driver.
The driver of the tow truck sustained a leg injury from the accident and Officer Paden was taken to Grant Medical Center with minor injuries. Officer Paden was released from the hospital early Sunday morning.
The driver of the vehicle that struck Officer Paden’s cruiser was taken into custody on suspicion of OVI. Police have not identified the driver and the incident remains under investigation.