ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — A man was arrested on Tuesday, August 1, after he allegedly hit another vehicle and then fled the scene.
According to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to the area of Egypt Pike near McDonald Road in reference to a hit-skip crash. The caller advised that his vehicle had been struck by a truck and that the truck had fled the scene. The caller also stated that the hit-skip driver was possibly intoxicated.
Upon arrival, deputies found the victim with minor injuries. They also observed a man walking up the driveway of a nearby residence. The man was wearing a gray shirt and light-colored jeans.
Deputies shined their flashlights at the man and yelled for him to stop, but he did not. The man got into a white GMC Dump Truck and started the vehicle. Deputies and Union Twp EMTs approached the Dump Truck, but the man refused to put the vehicle in park. Instead, he began backing up and pulling forward, using the Dump Truck to block the driveway.
Deputies yelled for the man to stop multiple times, but he refused. Once he had the Dump Truck adequately across the driveway, he then put it in park and exited the vehicle.
The man, later identified as Todd Anthony McGowan, told deputies that he had been involved in a crash a few minutes earlier. He stated that he was driving his 2003 Blue Ford F-350, northbound on Egypt Pike after heading home from a meeting. He stated that while driving northbound near Cattail Road, he and another vehicle “smacked mirrors.”
McGowan stated that both vehicles were within their own lane of travel, but the mirrors still managed to collide. He stated the driver of the other vehicle then turned around and followed him to his residence. McGowan indicated that he didn’t understand why the other vehicle had followed him despite him stating that they had obviously been involved in a crash.
While speaking with McGowan, deputies detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on or about his person. McGowan stated that he had drank two beers between approximately 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Deputies asked McGowan to perform a field sobriety test, which he failed.
Due to deputies’ reported observations, McGowan was placed under arrest. He denied injury and refused to allow Union Twp EMS to evaluate him.
The victim had minor lacerations and swelling to his forehead and ear. He also had an obvious foreign object in his eye. He was transported to Adena Regional Medical Center by Union Twp EMS.
McGowan was transported to the Ross County Jail.
