Students whose cars were flipped and destroyed during Chitt Fest riot ask for accountability

Jessica Langer, Owen Milnes
Tue, 20 Apr 2021 03:17:57 +0000
Area, Campus, Crime, Instagram Page, Local, National, News, off-campus, avenue, blocked street, Buckeyes, cars, Chitt, chitt fest, chitt show, Chittenden, chittenden avenue, Columbus Ohio, columbus police, coronavirus, covid, covid levels, cpd, damage, flipped cars, fundraiser, gathering, gofundme, helicopters, high street, indianola, large [and 23 more]

Ohio State students flip a car on Chittenden Avenue. More than a thousand students flocked to the street for an evening that resulted in multiple flipped cars and Columbus Police helicopters being called in, but no arrests were made. Credit: Paige Cirtwill | Lantern Reporter

Editor’s Note: Lauren Taras has had three stories published in The Lantern prior to this weekend.

Lauren Taras expected to spend her Saturday night at a friend’s house, but instead she found herself fending off hundreds of people from her already-flipped-and-destroyed car in an effort to try to prevent more damage after being told by a 911 dispatcher that help would come “when it is safe to come to the scene.”

Despite university, state, federal and local COVID-19 guidelines, about 1,000 Ohio State students gathered on Chittenden Avenue between High and Summit streets Saturday night, following Ohio State football’s spring game. The gathering resulted in a riot with multiple flipped cars and property damage. Columbus Police circled the area with a helicopter — yet police made zero arrests on the scene.?

“Just so much personal property destroyed for absolutely no reason. There is no reason for any of this to occur,” Taras, a fourth-year in strategic communication, said.

Taras said the destruction started around 10:30 p.m. — and Columbus Police dispatch said officers responded to a call at about 10:45 p.m. — but she didn’t see police get to the part of the street with her heavily damaged car until about 3 a.m., after many people had left.

“No one could have gotten arrested because they were no longer present,” Taras said. “It just kind of showed like this privilege, if you will, kind of mentality.”

Columbus Police public information officer Sgt. James Fuqua did not respond to request for comment by the time of publication.

Taras said her windshield and driver’s side window were shattered, and her car was heavily damaged. It is now at an impound lot.

Lizzy Duvic’s car was also destroyed in Saturday night’s riot.

Duvic, a third-year in health sciences, said she lives on 12th Avenue and typically parks her car on Chittenden Avenue, but if she knew what was to come, she said she wouldn’t have parked there. She first saw her smashed car in a photo she was sent that night.?

She said she then ran out to check on the car and saw it tipped on its side against another car — which was also flipped — and had its windows smashed and the hood ripped and bent upward, exposing the engine.

“I’m just disappointed in the whole thing. I feel kind of betrayed by my own Ohio State fellow students,” Duvic said. “Partying is super fun, I get it. I also like to party, but they have crossed a line, and I just still really can’t believe I’m dealing with this right now.”?

Duvic said she filed a police report, and her car was towed to an impound lot Sunday morning. She said she has not been contacted by the towing company or the police about further steps.

She said Seneca Crump, coordinator for Sorority and Fraternity Life of the Office of Student Life, sent her an email with links to the Student Advocacy Center and Counseling and Consultation Service.?

Taras said she also filed a police report and received an email from Senior Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers apologizing for the damage and offering university support through the Office of Student Advocacy.

The party-turned-riot came two days after Gov. Mike DeWine announced Franklin County returned to the highest COVID-19 advisory level due to increased emergency room outpatient visits and hospitalizations. There were 1,830 COVID-19 cases in Franklin County between April 5-12, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Duvic said she contacted Never Walk Alone, a student organization that looks to create a support network for students and help those struggling with mental illnesses, after seeing its post about fundraising for the victims. She said the organization will give her some of the donations to help her pay for a new car.?

Claire Wollett, president of Never Walk Alone, said the fundraiser had raised $9,500 at the time of publication and is expecting to continue to collect money until the end of the week. She is accepting the donations through her Venmo account. The organization is also sharing the victims’ personal Venmo accounts if people would rather send them money directly.??

Wollett, a second-year in pharmaceutical sciences, said the organization asked for pictures and videos of the damage and insurance claims to check the legitimacy of those who have contacted the organization.?

“We don’t want people to feel like we’re taking advantage of their money and just giving it out to random people who DM us on Instagram, not that people are being untruthful, but I do think it’s important to prove that we’re actually giving the money to the right people,” Wollett said.??

Chris Emmett, a second-year in civil engineering and the secretary of Never Walk Alone, said the organization is being open about its intentions, since many have messaged the club’s social media accounts to ensure the money is going to the right people.

“We really want to be very transparent about the whole situation,” Emmett said. “We want to give receipts out to everyone and show that we actually are helping people.??

Emmett said the organization is unsure how they will distribute the money to the students.

Duvic said she has raised $2,080 from her own GoFundMe page at the time of publication, and many on social media have reached out to her to check in.?

“I just feel so supported,” Duvic said. “I don’t have any sense of this community that I’ve personally dealt with people that are trying to help me, and so that just makes me glad to be part of Ohio State even though this has happened because it’s nice to know other people are there and care about this.”

Duvic said she is not interested in going after those who damaged her car, but hopes they will come forward and help pay for a new one.

However, Taras said she would like more aggressive action taken against the perpetrators if they are Ohio State students.

“I would like to see that people that do go here to get suspended or expelled or receive some sort of academic — I don’t know, like misdemeanor or misconduct — but some sort of outcome in terms of them being students,” Taras said. “We complete a lot of forms, saying that you’re going to abide by safety concerns and guidelines and they obviously totally, completely disregarded it.”?