AUSTINTOWN, OH — October 19, 2026 David Burford, 45, of Austintown, died after being struck by a vehicle while walking along Burkey Road in a hit-and-run collision, according to the Austintown Police Department.
Police reported that the vehicle involved in the crash left the scene. Burford was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center with critical injuries but later died.
Before the fatal collision, a gray vehicle reportedly left the roadway near the 4200 block of Burkey Road, struck a mailbox and left tire marks and a piece of vehicle debris in the grass. A witness following the vehicle told police that the driver had run a red light, swerved and struck a curb before the witness fell back because of the vehicle’s erratic movements.
The collision occurred at approximately 9 p.m. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators reportedly showed the vehicle striking Burford, slowing down and then leaving the scene.
Police subsequently located the vehicle and identified a person of interest believed to have been driving it. The vehicle was seized for laboratory examination. Authorities had not announced any charges or released the person’s identity at the time of the report.
