Dayton police recruit critically injured in crash identified; other staff members released

DAYTON — UPDATE @ 4:35 p.m. (Oct. 6)

Police have provided an update on an injury crash that involved four of their own staff members.

The Dayton police supervisor and two recruits have been treated and released from the hospital, the Dayton Police Department said in a media release Friday afternoon.

Police said one recruit, identified as Solomon Kessio, remains in the hospital in critical condition.

Kessio started training with the Dayton Police Department in March 2023.

The 80-year-old driver and 63-year-old passenger of the Reichard Buick GMC pickup truck remain in the hospital in critical condition.

“The department is requesting the community to continue to pray for and support all parties involved in this incident,” Dayton police said.

An online fundraiser has been created to support the Kessio Family.

Further details were not provided.

We will continue following this story and update as new information is released.

>>PHOTOS: Crash scene where police recruit was struck, injured

INITIAL REPORT:

Two police recruits are still hospitalized after a crash on State Route 4 in Dayton Thursday afternoon.

A Dayton Police supervisor and three recruits were on State Route 4 between the exits of Stanley Avenue and Harshman Road for a training exercise when a pick-up truck crashed into a police cruiser, Dayton Police wrote on social media.

Dayton Police chief Kamran Afzal said a police cruiser was parked along the shoulder of the road when a Reichard Buick GMZ slammed into the cruiser.

Two people were inside the truck when the crash happened.

The supervisor, recruit, and the two inside the truck have been released from Miami Valley Hospital.

The recruit seriously injured was said to be in stable but critical condition, according to the department.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dayton police recruit seriously injured in SR-4 crash stable; 2 released from hospital

News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson is outside Miami Valley Hospital this morning.

She says the scene is much quieter than it was Thursday when there were at least a dozen police cruisers outside the hospital.

The recruits were just weeks away from graduation and getting certified in how to conduct speed enforcement.

Chief Afzal spoke with reporters Thursday about why the crash happened.

“I think speed is definitely a factor, but I really don’t know,” he said. “The damage is pretty severe on both vehicles.”

>>PHOTOS: Police presence at Miami Valley Hospital after officer-involved crash

News Center 7 also spoke with a man who was working next to State Route 4 Thursday when the crash happened.

He told Kayla McDermott that he heard a screeching noise before watching the recruit get hit.

>>‘It’s not something you forget,’ says man who saw truck slam into Dayton police recruit

The witness also says the recruit had obvious head injuries and at one point, was not breathing.

“It’s probably going to stick with me for the rest of my life,” he said. “It’s not something you forget.”

>>Local law enforcement agencies show support for DPD after recruits, supervisor injured in crash

News Center 7 reached out to Reichard Buick and GMC for a statement and spoke to Jeff Reichard, who said he is “praying that everyone turns out OK.”

Neither the police department nor Reichard Buick GMC have released the names of any of the people involved.

Northbound and southbound SR-4 was shut down for the investigation but has since been reopened.

We will continue following this story and update as new information is released.

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Dayton Police Recruit injured crash scene (Mehaffie, Steve (CMG-Dayton))

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Police Presence at Miami Valley Hospital After Officer Reportedly Struck A Dayton officer was reportedly struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash Thursday afternoon.

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