PHOTOS: 4-car crash involving local police cruiser

NORTH CANTON , Ohio – A Jackson Township police officer was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries after a four-vehicle chain-reaction crash shut down a local roadway for more than an hour.

The incident took place Tuesday, April 30, shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Fulton Road near Foxchase Avenue.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Officer Matthew Rouse, 30, was in a Jackson Township police SUV and stopped due to traffic ahead.

There were two vehicles stopped behind the cruiser and that’s where the chain-reaction crash began, according to troopers.

Officials said, a 2011 Ford Edge driven by Daniel Griffiths, 38, failed to stop at an assured clear distance and hit a 2018 Hyundai Elantra which then struck a 2016 Fiat 500X.

“The collision caused the Fiat and Hyundai to strike the police cruiser and the Fiat to override onto the roof of the Hyundai,” read a press release.

According to troopers, Griffiths was cited for distracted driving, failure to wear a seatbelt, and assured clear distance ahead.

Drivers and passengers suffered minor injuries, according to officials.

Fulton Road was closed for more than an hour.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is handling the crash investigation.

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