65-Year-Old Killed In Car Crash In Cleveland Heights

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — A 65-year-old man was killed in a car crash in Cleveland Heights on Thursday night.

Eugene Rankin, 65, was killed when his Chevy sedan was hit by a black pickup truck at the intersection of Mayfield and South Taylor Roads. Police believe the pickup truck ran a red light, leading to the crash.

The driver of the pickup truck admitted to drinking whiskey and then driving, according to Cleveland Heights police records obtained by Patch. Two witnesses held the driver until police arrived because he tried to run away, police said.

The car crash happened at 11 p.m. When police arrived at the intersection, firefighters were trying to extract Rankin from his car. Police said they saw major damage to the pickup truck. The driver of the truck was being held by two witnesses after he tried to run away from the accident, police reports said.

Officers handcuffed the pickup truck driver and walked him to a treelawn. Police patted him down and the driver told officers he was drunk and did not care, according to police records. According to one police officer's account, the driver repeatedly asked police to kill him. He told officers he wanted to commit suicide, police records said.

The pickup truck driver was put into an ambulance and driven to a hospital. He allowed police to test his blood once he was at the hospital.

Cleveland Heights Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg told Patch the pickup truck driver is still recovering in a hospital. She said he could face charges for the accident before the end of the week.

Rankin was then extracted from his car and firefighters began providing him medical attention. When he was placed into his own ambulance, his vital signs were low, police reports said.

Rankin was later pronounced dead at University Hospitals. His identity was announced by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office on Friday morning.

"Our thoughts go out to the family of the victim who did not survive the accident. We also would like to thank the two witnesses who acted quickly to detain the other driver as he attempted to flee," Mecklenburg said in a statement.

Both the pickup truck and sedan were towed from the scene after police completed their initial investigation.

Cleveland Heights police have not revealed the name of the pickup driver.