Ohio News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A driver has been charged with a felony after crashing into a deputy's cruiser then striking a COTA bus stop and a utility pole in north Columbus on Friday morning.

The cruiser was parked on the east side when it was hit at about 3:30 a.m. on Friday, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. The driver then continued moving, and a short pursuit ensued before they crashed into a COTA bus stop stop and a utility pole at Cleveland Avenue and East 4th Avenue.

• (Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Sheriff's Office)
• (Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Sheriff's Office)

Five occupants, including an infant, were in the car and were evaluated on the scene by medics, the sheriff's office said. The infant was transported to a local hospital as a precaution, while two others were transported for minor injuries.

The driver was charged with felony fleeing, and the sheriff's office said additional charges are pending. The southbound lanes of Cleveland Avenue between East 4th and East 5th avenues are closed as the crash remains under investigation.

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- A daycare boasted as the "innovators in educational child care" with locations across the east coast is expanding with its first Ohio academy in the Columbus area.

The New Jersey-based daycare chain, Lightbridge Academy, is aiming to build the new location on a 1.68-acre site near the intersection of Frantz Road and Blazer Parkway in Dublin, according to the proposal reviewed by the Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission on March 7.

The site would feature a 12,411-square-foot, single-story daycare located in the north portion, while a 7,000-square-foot playground would be found to the west. Nearly 60 parking spaces would occupy the southern portion of the site, fulfilling the typical requirement of one parking space per teacher plus one space per six students.

• Lightbridge Academy aims to build the new location on a 1.68-acre site in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission)
• Lightbridge Academy aims to build the new location on a 1.68-acre site in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission)
• Lightbridge Academy aims to build the new location on a 1.68-acre site in Dublin. (Courtesy Photo/Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission)

With more than 150 locations across the eastern U.S., Lightbridge claims its centers are "more than just a day care," providing "a stimulating learning environment and comprehensive curriculum for infants, toddlers and preschoolers." The academy is known for offering extended hours, back-up care and even special events like "Parent's Night Out."

"My wife Julia and I are parents of three sons and eight grandchildren. We know first-hand the struggles of the working parent," states found Guy Falzarano on the company's site. "Which is why we made it our mission to provide the kind of support, education and care that cannot be found anywhere else in the child care industry."

Lightbridge will return to Dublin's planning and zoning commission for review of the site's final development plan before construction can begin.