Woman killed, three injured in wrong-way driving accident on Columbus' east side

The driver of a car that Columbus police say caused a fatal head-on collision on Columbus' east side early Monday morning has been identified.

Samuel Beyene, 19, of Columbus's East Side, was driving a Dodge Charger with its headlights off and on the wrong side of the road at about 70 mph in a speed limit zone when he collided head-on with a Nissan Altima at 3:33 a.m. on East Livingston Avenue near the intersection with South Hamilton Road, according to a Columbus police report.

The driver of the other car and its only passenger, 32-year-old Deandra Brigham, were pronounced dead at the scene at 3:38 a.m. A police news release said the crash caused “catastrophic damage” and scattered debris across the roadway.

Beyene and his 19-year-old twin brother, the adult passenger, were taken by Columbus Division of Fire paramedics to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in critical condition, police reported. A 21-year-old male passenger who was in the back seat of the Challenger was taken to Mount Carmel East Hospital in serious condition.

A witness told police that the Dodge driven by Beyene was traveling west in the eastbound lanes of East Livingston Avenue with its headlights off when it collided head-on with Brigham's car.

It is not known whether those involved in the accident were wearing seat belts or were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the report says.

As of Monday evening, no charges or citations had been filed, although police department practice is to not do so until a suspect is released from the hospital. The Columbus Police Department's Accident Investigation Unit is continuing its investigation into the crash.

Dispatch reporter Shahid Meighan contributed to this report.

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