COLUMBIANA COUNTY, Ohio --


Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Lisbon are investigating after a car fatally struck a 1-year-old boy.

The crash happened on State Route 14 in Unity Township around 9 p.m. Friday.

The boy, of Unity Township, was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Salem Community Hospital.

Investigators said a vehicle driven by a 38-year-old struck the toddler, Ryan J. Brown.

Lt. Joe Dragovich of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the child somehow left a home and made his way to the road. Dragovich said the child stood up and the driver did not see him in time to stop on the dark road.

The crash remained under investigation on Monday. Troopers said it was unclear if the driver will face any charges. They will give the case to the county prosecutor, who will make that decision.

"There was just not enough time. (It was) something that would take anybody completely off guard. (Drivers are) not expecting to see a toddler in the roadway," Dragovich said.

He said the child was in a home where people were moving carpet padding from one room into another.

"The garage was open. They were shutting the doors and somehow or another, with the commotion, lost track of the child," Dragovich said. "It's just a tragedy in every sense of the word. Just a horrible, horrible experience."