A Delaware County man has been charged in the death of a female jogger in Westerville.
According to Franklin County Municipal Court records, Jonathan B. Coffman, 32, Delaware, has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide in connection with the death of Linda J. Evans, 68, Columbus.
Coffman was arraigned Tuesday morning. Bond was set at $50,000. He’s being held in the main jail of the Franklin County Corrections Center.
Court records indicate that a preliminary hearing in Coffman’s case has been scheduled for 9 a.m. on Aug. 10 in Franklin County Municipal Court.
Westerville Police said Evans was apparently struck and killed while she was jogging Monday morning along Park Meadow Road near Schrock Road. Police Chief Joseph Morbitzer said officers were called to the scene at 9:47 a.m. Monday after a passerby reported seeing the woman’s body in the brush off the side of the roadway.
Police said Coffman has admitted to driving off the road in the area where Evans’ body was located. He also told officers that he took medication the night prior to the crash.
According to Westerville Police, blood was found on Coffman’s Ford Explorer.
Morbitzer said Coffman’s vehicle was identified by another motorist near the scene of the incident.
“We have one witness who saw a male exit his vehicle, look at the damage to his vehicle, get back in, and then drive away,” Morbitzer said during a press conference Monday. “Officers, doing very good police work, were able to locate the suspect vehicle at 800 Brooksedge Boulevard. It had damage consistent with a hit-skip accident; and that vehicle registers to Mr. Coffman.”
Coffman was arrested Monday morning at his workplace, JP Morgan Chase, located at 800 Brooksedge Boulevard in Westerville. He was initially charged with operating a vehicle under the influence.
According to Morbitzer, the area in which Evans was struck and killed is popular with runners.
“From what we understand, she’s an avid runner,” he said during the press conference. “So, it’s not unusual with the pathway system to have people running in that area. I’m not sure if this was part of a set route for her or not.”
