ASHLAND COUNTY, Ohio — Body camera and dash camera video captured the terrifying moments for an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper who was injured after being struck Wednesday morning on I-71 in Ashland County.
Amid icy conditions at approximately 5:50 a.m., trooper Tanner Guinther was assisting the driver of a Jeep that was in the median on I-71 northbound near County Road 175 in Ashland Township.
Cameras show Guinther walking over to the Jeep crash site, when suddenly a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven by a 37-year-old Carroll woman lost control on the ice-covered bridge. The Tacoma first hit the trooper's cruiser, then struck both Guinther and the Jeep in the median.
In the body camera video, Guinther is first seen exchanging paperwork with the Jeep driver before being struck. He is on the ground for a few moments afterward, checks on the Jeep driver, and calls for a "squad" to come to the scene. Amid occasional grunts of pain, Guinther gets to his feet, again checks on the Jeep driver, then heads over to the Tacoma to check on that driver.
While Guinther was transported to Ohio Health in Ashland with minor injuries, the drivers of the Tacoma and Jeep were not injured in the crash. Guinther was released from the hospital later that day.
The crash remains under investigation.