A driver who stopped in the middle of Interstate 670 near the Neil Avenue exit in Columbus on Aug. 17 caused a crash and several close calls, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation, the latest in a string of dangerous incidents involving motorists slowing or stopping after missing an exit.
Around 7 p.m. August. 17, ODOT traffic cameras captured a red SUV coming to a stop in the right lane of westbound I-670 near the Neil Avenue exit. ODOT video shared to the agency spokesperson's X account shows multiple drivers braking or swerving to avoid the stopped SUV before a vehicle rear-ended another that had stopped behind it. The SUV then drove away.
"Welp, it happened again," an ODOT spokesperson wrote in a social media post. "This incident
on Monday afternoon at I-670 and Neil Ave. in Columbus is yet another reminder that if you miss your exit or you are confused about which exit to take, do not stop on the freeway.
"We don't know why this driver did what they did, but it resulted in a crash and several close calls – and, of course, they just drove off."
A Columbus police crash report from the 7:05 p.m. collision states that a vehicle slowing in traffic near Neil Avenue was struck from behind. No injuries were reported. The driver of the striking vehicle was cited for driving without an operator's license and assured clear distance ahead, and the vehicle was impounded.
Monday's incidents are the latest in a series of crashes linked to drivers stopping after missing exits. Earlier this year, ODOT highlighted two similar crashes along Interstate 71 in which drivers appeared to stop in travel lanes after missing an exit, causing collisions before leaving the scene. One of those drivers later had their license suspended.
ODOT continues to remind motorists that if they miss an exit, they should continue to the next one and safely turn around rather than stopping or backing up on the interstate.
Just hours before this crash, Columbus police responded to another rear-end crash on westbound I-670. According to a crash report, a driver struck the rear of another vehicle that had stopped in heavy traffic approaching Interstate 70. The driver was cited for assured clear distance ahead and driving without a valid driver's license.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Driver stopping on I-670 causes crash, prompts renewed warning from ODOT
