A 25-year-old man is dead and another man is critically injured following a crash near Northgate Mall Friday morning.

The crash happened at Colerain Avenue and Commons Circle at around 10 a.m.

According to Colerain Township police, Ronald Washington, Jr., 25, was struck by another driver. He died from his injuries, police said.

Police said the driver of the car that caused the crash, Antonio Wofford, 31, fled the scene. He was later apprehended a short while later. He faces vehicular homicide charges.

A 25-year-old passenger in Washington's car was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition.

Colerain Avenue was closed for much of the day as police continues their investigation but has since reopened.

This is a breaking news story, WLWT will continue to update with more information as it comes in.

Recovery expert talks about powerful hold of drug addiction in situation involving boy left in Colerain

Tyler Schmidt explains impact illicit drugs can have on people teetering on the edge

Updated: 11:16 PM EST Feb 21, 2022

Heartbreaking but hardly surprising. That's how a local recovery expert feels about the situation involving a mother who is accused of leaving her child alone in Colerain Township. The police officer who arrested Heather Adkins, the mother of a child who was found alone in Colerain, said she had been treated for using a heroin and meth, a drug combination that one expert says can cause people to make decisions they later regret."My family, you know, is in a state of shock because it's not the Heather that we know, you know, that would do this to her child," said Sharon Eads, Heather Adkins' mother.Eads' comments make perfect sense to Tyler Schmidt."At the darkest points of my addiction I was, you know, just a completely different person," Schmidt said. "I couldn't discern the truth from the false."Schmidt, now in his ninth year of recovery, is executive director of a faith-based recovery organization called Living in Testimony.Based on his own experience and the stories he's heard from others battling addiction, Schmidt finds the situation involving Adkins and her 6-year-old son less shocking than many might think. Police said Adkins left her son alone on a road in Colerain Township Thursday night. Thankfully, a passing motorist saw the little boy and called for help. "This is heartbreaking, but it's not surprising," Schmidt said. "A lot of people are struggling within the confines of their house and just don't know where to turn."That's especially true when potentially life and death decisions are being made under a cloud of drug-induced confusion. Recognizing this reality, Schmidt and his team have used grant money from the state of Ohio to launch a Short Term Refuge program in Lower Price Hill."Almost like triage housing, where we can take someone off the street at midnight, bring them in, clothe them, wash their clothes, feed them, give them some temporary shelter and then we coordinate the treatment," Schmidt said.Since the program was ramped up in June, Schmidt said 220 men have been connected to treatment options within 24 hours.A similar program for women will launch next month at a Living in Testimony site in College Hill.In the meantime, Schmidt hopes Heather Adkins gets the help she needs — and not a public lashing."They don't need judgment or harsh criticism," he said. "They really need a helping hand."Sharon Eads told WLWT she thought her daughter stopped using illicit drugs five years ago. Eads said her daughter does suffer bouts of depression.

Officials released the name of a woman was struck by a vehicle and killed while crossing a busy intersection in the Colerain Kroger parking lot Thursday.

Janice Bennett has been identified as the pedestrian struck and killed on thhursday.

“When I looked over, she was literally falling to the ground,” said Nick Smith. “It happened real fast.”

The driver of the vehicle that hit the woman stopped and called 911.

“I just hit a woman near Cincinnatus Saving and Loan, the Kroger parking lot,” said the man, who was almost too emotional to speak.

Witnesses said the driver of the vehicle that hit the woman had been leaving the Kroger lot and was headed toward Springdale Avenue.

Investigators said speed does not appear to be a factor.

The woman is yet to be identified.

Colerain police said it appears the woman was out for a walk. She did not have identification.

A Colerain fire crew was nearby, but the woman couldn’t be saved.

Colerain officials released a statement regarding the matter:

"On 11/11/21 at approximately 11:53, Colerain Police and Fire units were dispatched to the Kroger Store at 3636 Springdale Road for a pedestrian struck. Colerain Engine Company 26 was already in the lot on an unrelated detail and arrived within seconds and began treating the victim while awaiting a transport unit. The victim was then taken to UC Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The Colerain Police Traffic Safety Unit responded for the investigation. The investigation revealed that a Ford F150, being driven by Elliot Nance 54 of Cincinnati, was traveling west through the lot and began to turn south to exit onto Springdale Road. At the same time a pedestrian, identified as Janice Bennett 65 of Cincinnati, was walking east through the lot. As the truck turned, Bennett walked into the path of the vehicle and was struck. At this time, speed and impairment are not believed to be factors in the crash. Preliminary reports indicate that this is a tragic accident for all involved. The accident remains under investigation by the Traffic Safety Unit. Any witnesses are asked to call traffic investigators at 513-321-2677."

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Millions of people across the country are lining up each day to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but for many, that’s not a possibility. The Colerain Township Fire Department is working to make the shot accessible to people who are homebound.

The at-home vaccination program starts Monday, as Colerain Fire and EMS take the rollout on the road.

“We want to be part of this and we want to make a difference,” Colerain Township assistant fire chief Will Mueller said.

They’re in the business of saving lives, and now they’re doing their best to extinguish a pandemic.

“We’re getting calls from people who are suffering from co-morbid conditions, multiple health issues that prohibit them from going out, or they’re afraid to get out because they’re worried about exposure,” Mueller said.

A new partnership with Hamilton County Public Health will allow Colerain Fire and EMS to vaccinate those who can’t leave their home regardless of age.

“If that person is confined to a wheelchair and they’re over 18 years old, we’ll come and do it,” Colerain Township Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services special projects manager Robert Rielage said.

Interested parties can visit this website to provide information for a parent or spouse. The department then calls to set up an appointment, taking the extra step virtually and in person to reach those in need.

“I’ve spent most of the day going to most of the major churches in Colerain Township and ... medical facilities to basically indicate this is what we have available if we have patients or you have parishioners who meet this criteria,” Rielage said.

The department is also asking people to be patient.

“Those that register, we’re going to work real hard to make sure they get the vaccine,” Mueller said.

This program is available to Colerain Township residents only.

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A man faces a murder charge after a Colerain Township shooting that left another man dead on May 22.

In court documents, police said Tysean Clifford, 29 of Winton Hills, fatally shot Emmanuel Jones in the chest after a confrontation in a parking lot along the 3100 block of Regal Lane.

On Tuesday, police arrested Clifford and charged him with Jones' murder. According to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, Clifford was indicted Friday.

Clifford is currently lodged in the Hamilton County Justice Center on a $1 million bond awaiting a June 11 court date.