BRATENAHL, Ohio — Seven cars were involved in three separate crashes early Sunday morning on I-90 East near East 105th Street in Bratenahl.
The incident happened at around 1:41 a.m. when Bratenahl Police Officers responded to an initial two-vehicle rollover crash.
Moments later, a second crash happened after two vehicles attempted to avoid the initial crash.
As officers responded to the crash scene, a vehicle went to the side of the road at high speed, striking an unoccupied Bratenahl police car.
Body camera video shows Sgt. Ryan Durand spotting a car coming at officers at full speed. Durand runs to the side of the road, escaping just in time as the car plowed into the cruiser. After hitting the police cruiser, the vehicle struck a truck, which rolled over.
Bratenahl Police told 3News that the driver who struck the police car, 23-year-old Anita Locke of Euclid, was arrested and is being charged with operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI) after having an alcohol level twice the legal limit. Officers say Locke blamed them for "parking on the highway."
According to Bratenahl Police, Cleveland EMS took four adults with non-life-threatening conditions to University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center.
No officers were injured in the incident.
It was almost a tragic déjà vu for first responders, including Cleveland firefighters at the scene. It was near the same spot where the Cleveland Division of Fire's Johnny Tetrick was fatally struck by an accused drunk driver last month.
The three-mile stretch of I-90 in Bratenahl is notoriously nicknamed "The Bermuda Triangle" by police. Drivers have hit officers seven times since 2019, at least five of those vehicle operators were impaired.
So far this year, 46 first responders have been killed after being struck by a vehicle, according to data from the Emergency Responder Safety Institute. It's a sobering statistic that doesn't include the near-misses.
Want to be among the first to know the most important local and national news? You can download the free WKYC app and get fresh updates right on your phone: Android, Apple.