JACKSON TWP. ‒ Police have charged a 77-year-old driver with two traffic offenses but say he did not intentionally run into a participant at a No Kings rally on Oct. 18.
In a news release issued Oct. 27, Police Chief Mark Brink said the motorist will face counts of failure to stop after an accident and a marked lanes violation.
“Based on the collective evidence, there is no indication that the incident was an intentional act,” Brink wrote.
He said the man’s truck, a white 2023 Ford F-150, was going west on Fulton Drive NW near North Park when it straddled a right-turn-only lane and the through lane. The pedestrian who was struck said she was a foot or two from the curb when the vehicle approached.
The motorist continued straight, straddling both lanes, into the intersection of Fulton and Community Parkway NW, nearly hitting another vehicle before breaching the curb and striking the pedestrian, Brink said.
He said the investigation confirmed the driver who hit the pedestrian was not the operator of a white truck alleged to have been seen circling the area and making harassing gestures toward protesters.
That conclusion is supported by evidence from a concerned citizen’s call, video of the collision, the driver’s account of his actions prior to the collision, and data from automated license plate readers, Brink said.
“Additionally, there is no evidence that prescribed medication or any other substance contributed to impairment at the time of the incident,” Brink said. “However, there is substantial evidence that (the driver) knew, or reasonably should have known that the collision did occur and/or that he needed to stop, because he was aware of sufficient circumstances that indicated a certain result would probably be found.”
“The evidence currently available regarding the victim’s injuries does not rise to the level of a felony charge,” Brink said.
The Jackson Police Department has submitted the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Recertification Form, which will require the driver to undergo a medical review of his ability to drive.
The Repository is not naming the motorist due to the level of the charges.
“I don’t even remember it happening,” he told the Canton Repository in a telephone interview on Oct. 20. “It wasn’t anything like on purpose.”
Brink said the evidence in the case was reviewed with the Massillon Prosecutor’s Office. The evidence consisted of witness statements, photographs, and videos, including data automated license plate readers.
A crash report prepared by township police said the victim, a 53-year-old Bethlehem Township woman, suffered injuries that were suspected to be minor. She had returned home the day after the incident where she was recuperating, according to a family member.
The No Kings rally was held to protest actions by the Trump administration and celebrate constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly.
Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Driver who hit pedestrian at Jackson No Kings rally didn’t target protesters, police say
Reporting by Nancy Molnar, Canton Repository / The Repository
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