FRANKLIN — An area police K-9 is dead and two officers are injured after being involved in a crash Saturday morning.
The crash happened on S. River Street in Franklin around 10:40 a.m., according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
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Two Franklin police officers along with their K-9 were on regular patrol on S. River Street when a 2015 Jeep Patriot began driving the wrong way on the road at a high rate of speed. The Jeep it the police cruiser and then traveled off the road and hit a tree.
Fury, the Franklin Police K-9 in the cruiser, was transported to MedVet where he later died from his injuries.
The two Franklin officers sustained minor injuries and were transported to Kettering Health Franklin for treatment. The Franklin Division of Police said both officers are expected to return to duty.
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The driver of the Jeep, Michael Sims, 21, of Nicholasville, Kentucky, was taken to Atrium Medical Center with minor injuries.
Sims will be booked in the Warren County Jail on initial charges of felonious assault of a police officer and felonious assault of a police dog once he is released from the hospital, troopers confirm.
Franklin police took to social media to mourn the loss of Fury after the crash.
“With a heavy heart the Franklin Police Division has lost a beloved member our family,” police wrote, saying they’re taking the time to process the “loss of our protector” before releasing any additional information.
The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
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