A car and a police cruiser collided at an intersection northwest of central Columbus, Ohio, early Friday, killing a family of six and injuring a police officer, officials said.
None of the victims who died was wearing a seat belt, including a toddler, who also was not in a child-safety seat at the time of the crash, Perry Township Lt. Steve Cicero said.
The police officer was responding to reports of a robbery at a McDonald’s in the suburb of Upper Arlington.
Local police union boss Jason Pappas said the officer was in a stable condition despite sustaining a serious head injury.
The dead were a husband, wife, and four daughters, according to Cicero.
The crash closed Riverside Drive in both directions at the intersection with Fishinger Road, where the accident happened shortly after 1.30 a.m. local time, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
The officer involved in the collision is believed to have been traveling at normal speed with his police vehicle's lights flashing and siren on, Cicero said. He is not facing suspension or a ticket at this time. Dash-cam video from his car, which was seriously damaged in the crash, will be reviewed.
Officials are doing a complete investigation into the accident, but have no reason to believe there was anything suspicious or that the family involved was involved in the suspected robbery.
NBC's Catherine Cetta and Elizabeth Chuck contributed to this report.
