18-year-old college student is killed in hit-and-run near campus, Ohio police say

A college student was killed and another was injured when a driver ran a red light and struck them as they were crossing the street, police in Ohio say.

The crash happened around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, near the University of Cincinnati campus, according to the Cincinnati Police Department.

“I want to share our deepest condolences with the family of our student whose life was taken far too soon,” Neville G. Pinto, the president of the university, said in a statement. “For our injured student, our hopes remain focused on a full recovery.”

A driver in a 2014 Honda CR-V was traveling “at a high rate of speed” and struck the two students as they were walking in a marked crosswalk, police said. The driver later struck a tree and fled on foot.

The 18-year-old victims were taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Cayden Turner died from her injuries, and Namiya Russell suffered serious injuries but was listed in stable condition, police said.

Turner was struck head-on and was sent at least 50 feet down the road, said Joe Mak, a student who told the Cincinnati Enquirer he witnessed the crash.

Before first responders arrived, some students tried to revive Turner, according to WLWT.

“We did 33 chest compressions with intervals of 10 seconds each (and) stopped and kept doing it, kept repeating it,” CPR-certified student Pranee Karir told the TV station.

Police continue to search for the driver as of Thursday. Anyone with information was asked to contact Cincinnati police at 513-352-2514.

Turner graduated from Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton, according to her mother, Keisha Wilkerson.

“Asking for prayer for our family during this time,” Wilkerson said in a Facebook post Thursday morning.

This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 12:57 PM with the headline "18-year-old college student is killed in hit-and-run near campus, Ohio police say."