CLEVELAND -- The 19-year-old man accused of hitting and killing a woman riding an electric scooter in downtown Cleveland Saturday night admitted to police he snorted heroin with a friend before the crash, according to a police report.
Cleveland police say Scott McHugh, 19, of Vermilion, was driving a red 2016 Chevrolet Cruze on E. 9th Street near St. Clair Avenue when he hit Jenasia Summers, 21, of Cleveland Heights, while she was riding an ICON Q electric scooter.
It was a scooter rented through and owned by Ray's Scooter Rentals, which is in downtown Cleveland. According to Summers’ Instagram profile, it appears that’s where she worked.
Police said McHugh was going “well over” the 25 miles per hour speed limit when he crashed into the back of Summers, sending her flying into the air.
Summers was found “bleeding heavily from the head,” the police report said. She was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, where she later died.
McHugh was taken to St. Vincent Charity Medical Center for evaluation, but did not suffer any injuries. He is being charged with aggravated vehicular homicide.
McHugh kept driving after the crash, the police report said. He was found slumped over, unconscious and breathing a few blocks away on E. 9th Street near Rockwell Avenue.
An unidentified male, who was in the passenger seat, was seen exiting the vehicle and fleeing the scene, running westbound on Theresa Court.
A witness told police he had to jump in the passenger side of the car and put in park after the vehicle continued to roll down the street.
McHugh told police he snorted heroin with a friend in a grocery store parking lot shortly before the crash, the report said. He was found unconscious in the car while suffering an apparent overdose.
Cleveland EMS administered narcan to McHugh, “at which time he woke up and vomited on himself,” the report said. After snorting the heroin, McHugh told police he doesn’t remember anything about the crash until he woke up in the ambulance.
The report also says McHugh shouted, “I’m just going to kill myself” as he was taken to the hospital. He told police he has been battling addiction since he was 15 years old. He said he had been taking opioids and heroin, but had been clean for 50 days after spending some time in rehab, according to the report.
McHugh also told police he was going through withdrawal, saying he was “very itchy" following the crash. He remains in the Cuyahoga County Jail awaiting his first court appearance.