FRANKLIN, OH – A collision involving a wrong-way driver and a Franklin Police Division (FPD) cruiser resulted in the death of a police K9 and injuries to two officers on Saturday morning.
Michal T. Sims, 21, from Nicholasville, Kentucky, was identified as the driver of a 2015 Jeep Patriot that collided with the FPD vehicle. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), which is handling the investigation, stated Sims faces charges including felonious assault of a police officer and a police dog.
The incident occurred around 10:40 a.m. on South River Street in Franklin, a city in northwest Warren County with a population close to 12,000. Reports indicate that the two FPD officers were patrolling with their K9, Fury, heading southwest when Sims entered South River Street traveling in the wrong direction at high speed, leading to the crash.
Following the collision with the police cruiser, Sims’ Jeep veered off the road and struck a tree before stopping. The OSHP is continuing its investigation into the crash.