A man accused of striking protesters with his pickup at a No Kings demonstration in northeast Ohio and then driving off insists he did not intend to hit anyone.
The Canton Repository tracked down the 77-year-old man who allegedly drove off the side of the road Saturday and hit a 53-year-old woman with his white 2023 Ford F-150 pickup truck, but he denied targeting them on purpose due to their political views against President Donald Trump.
"I don't even remember it happening," the man told the newspaper on Monday. "It wasn't anything like on purpose."
Thousands of demonstrators gathered near North Park in Jackson Township as part of a nationwide protest against the president and his administration's policies. Organizers say 7 million people took part in more than 2,600 events across the U.S.
A woman was taken away in an ambulance with a leg injury after the crash.
"What those people believe is fine," he said. "More power to them. That's what America's all about. They were protesting. I was not against them."
"I didn't even see those people," the man added. "I was just, you know, driving home and that was it. I hope I didn't hurt anybody bad or anything like that."
The newspaper did not identify the man because he has not yet been charged with any crimes, although police are consulting with the Massillon City Prosecutor’s Office on possible charges, but the driver claims police have already absolved him.
"You can talk to the police," he said. "They gave me a total thumbs-up. They told me not to even worry about it. They said there was nothing really happening."
The Repository did talk to police, and Jackson Township Police Chief Mark J. Brink said that no such conversation had taken place.
Witnesses provided photos of the truck and its license plate, which allowed police and state troopers to track down the man at his Jackson Township home.
"It was definitely on purpose," said demonstrator Lorraine Wilburn, who did not witness the crash but took a photo of the truck's license plate as it drove away. "He went up on the curb. She took a direct hit. It could have been a lot worse. She put her fist in the air and said 'I'm all right,' but I think she might have broken her leg."
The Bethlehem Township woman who was hit was treated at a nearby hospital for what were believed to be minor injuries, according to the crash report.