A drunk driver crashed into an Ohio State Highway Patrol cruiser and another car on US Route 50, injuring three people.

A head-on crash on US Route 50 in Athens Township, Ohio, late Saturday, October 25, 2025, involved an Ohio State Highway Patrol cruiser and two other vehicles. Christopher Barker, 47, was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when he struck the patrol cruiser and then a second car. Barker suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and is suspected of being impaired; he was taken to a local hospital. Trooper Todd Wallingford and the driver of the second vehicle, Xander Knore, 19, both sustained minor injuries and were treated and released. Multiple emergency agencies responded, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating, with charges pending.