Lieutenant Christopher Neal Claypool

Christopher Neal Claypool

Lieutenant Christopher Claypool was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while at the scene of another accident.

As he walked across the intersection with his flashlight to check on one of the victims of the initial accident, he was struck by the suspected drunk driver, who then fled the scene. The incident occurred at approximately 0030 hours.

A tip led to the suspect's arrest six months later. Since there was no evidence that the suspect was drinking or that he meant to hit Lieutenant Claypool he was only convicted of hit-and-run and sentenced to one year. The incident led the Ohio legislature to change the penalty from one year to 5 years if a death resulted from a hit-and-run.

Lieutenant Claypool had been employed with the Columbus Division of Police for 13 years, and is survived by his wife and two children. He was three days shy of his 40th birthday.