Kelsey Hildal Obituary, Death – Authorities have identified the woman shot and killed by police late Tuesday night in Union Township as 34-year-old Kelsey Hildal of Blue Ash, according to the Clermont County Coroner’s Office.
The incident began at 10:53 p.m. when police received multiple reports of a driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 275. Nearly 20 minutes later, a state trooper located the suspect vehicle, a Ford Escape, which was moving northbound along the shoulder of the southbound lanes. To prevent a potentially catastrophic accident, the trooper deliberately crashed his cruiser into the SUV, forcing it to stop against the concrete median barrier.
As officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, the driver allegedly displayed a firearm, escalating tensions further.
John Larry, a witness who was on his way to work, happened upon the scene as the confrontation unfolded. Initially, he assumed the suspect was male.
“They had him stopped, and they were telling him, ‘Get out of the car, get out of the car with your hands up,’ and the car just kept going,” Larry recalled.
Moments later, he heard multiple gunshots.
“The car turned toward the left, and that’s when the officer shot four or five times into the vehicle,” Larry said.
Larry recorded part of the incident on his cellphone, capturing the sound of gunfire. In his video, the vehicle slowly drifted to the opposite side of the median before colliding with the wall. Officers then smashed the SUV’s window and pulled the suspect from the vehicle.
It was only later that Larry learned the driver was a woman.
Despite efforts by police to render aid, Hildal succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A state trooper sustained a minor injury during the incident, though authorities clarified that it was unrelated to the shooting.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has taken over the case and is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Officials have not disclosed whether the shots were fired by a state trooper or a Union Township officer, as both agencies were present at the scene.
As the investigation continues, questions remain about what led Hildal to drive the wrong way on the highway and whether the firearm she allegedly displayed posed a direct threat to officers. Law enforcement officials are expected to release more details as they gather evidence and review footage from the scene.
For now, the incident raises concerns about wrong-way driving, police use of force, and the risks officers face when responding to unpredictable situations on the road.