The scope of Columbus' "carikaze" problem
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Drivers in the Columbus area are repeatedly crashing into businesses, homes and other buildings — situations so "oddly frequent" there are now social media pages dedicated to tracking them all.
Why it matters: These repeated crashes are dangerous for drivers and pedestrians, and can be devastating to businesses.
Case in point: A suspected drunk driver crashed into Char Bar over Labor Day weekend.
- The Short North staple remains closed and it'll take at least a month to assess the damage and make repairs, per an Instagram post from last week.
Driving the news: The description of a new "Columbus Carikaze" Instagram account poses a question many are asking lately: "Why does this keep happening?"
- There's no single answer, though Columbus' reliance on cars likely isn't helping the situation, as one of the largest U.S. cities without passenger rail.
What they're saying: Paul Meara, a former local journalist and Columbus native, runs the Carikaze account from New York City with his roommate.
- While many poke fun at the bizarre spectacles on social media, he says he's sticking to "straight facts."
- "Some of these businesses are really affected," he tells Axios, adding he hopes highlighting the scope of the problem may help solve it.
Zoom in: Meara has tracked 35 crashes since 2022. Their suspected causes include police chasing stolen vehicles, medical emergencies, vehicle malfunctions, alleged drunk driving and plain old bad driving.
- Their brick-and-mortar victims include a Fox in the Snow Cafe, FishBurger, the Easton welcome sign, Nationwide Children's Hospital, two elementary schools, a Red Cross office, a seminary and the convention center.
- We've also reported on a historical marker and a veterans memorial destroyed by vehicles in recent years.
Between the lines: Cleveland and Dayton led Ohio in such crashes over the past 12 years, with Columbus ranking third, Columbus Underground reports using Storefront Safety Council data.
- The organization notes that many crashes go unreported. There are indeed far more crashes that don't make news headlines or Meara's list.
By the numbers: The Columbus Division of Fire reported 102 vehicle collisions with buildings or structures in just the first five months of 2024, WCMH-TV reports.
- However, the number of crashes requiring a medic response has slightly decreased in recent years.
The bottom line: "I don't know if there's any real explanation ... but right now I'm just trying to document it as best as I can," Meara tells Axios.