Columbus I-270 Crash Leaves 45-Year-Old Jodi Tackett Dead as Police Detain Driver After Early-Morning Collision

 The Columbus community is mourning the tragic loss of Jodi Tackett, 45, who was killed in a devastating multi-vehicle crash on the west side of the city early Monday morning, an incident that has also left another person critically injured and resulted in one individual being taken into custody as investigators work to understand exactly how the chain of events unfolded.

According to the Columbus Division of Police, officers responded around 2:40 a.m. to Interstate 270 South near Georgesville Road after reports of a serious collision involving multiple vehicles on the highway, prompting an immediate emergency response to a scene described as chaotic and dangerous in the early morning hours.

Investigators said the incident began when two individuals were outside a Toyota minivan on the shoulder of the interstate, attempting to change a tire while safely parked off the travel lanes, when a separate vehicle traveling eastbound suddenly lost control and veered off course toward the parked vehicles.

Police reported that a 2011 Audi A4 struck the rear of a Toyota Corolla that was positioned approximately 50 feet behind the minivan, triggering a violent chain reaction that pushed the Corolla forward and caused it to impact the minivan, while also striking one of the individuals nearby in the process.

Jodi Tackett was seated inside the Toyota Corolla at the time of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:51 a.m., marking a sudden and heartbreaking loss that has left family, friends, and the wider community in shock as they try to process the tragic circumstances surrounding her final moments.

Another person involved in the incident sustained critical injuries and was transported to Grant Medical Center, where they remain under medical care as doctors work to stabilize their condition following the severe impact of the crash.

Following the collision, authorities said the driver of the Audi exited the vehicle and fled on foot but was later located near a Lowe’s store on Georgesville Square Drive, where they were taken into custody as police continued their investigation into the cause of the crash.

As officials work to determine contributing factors such as speed, roadway conditions, and driver behavior, the community is left grieving a sudden and preventable tragedy, remembering Jodi Tackett for her life while holding onto memories as investigators continue their work to bring clarity to what happened on Interstate 270 that early morning.