Moeller sophomore dies after he was hit by driver who fled, school announces

Colerain police said a crash happened early the morning of Oct. 5. Officers were dispatched at around 1:03 a.m. to the area near Colerain Avenue and Day Road; when they got there, they found Dylan unconscious, but breathing, near a guardrail by Prince of Peace Church.

“All we’ve heard from the police is that it was a white truck and the area that he was found was on our street,” said Kylie Stanley, Dylan Straughn’s older sister.

On Sunday night, Moeller held a prayer vigil for Dylan that was attended by friends and family. That’s where we spoke with Stanley.

“We hope that it’s not the end for his time here, and we just, we appreciate the school a lot. They’ve done a lot for us,” Stanley said.

Dylan’s older sister said that he’s involved in several extracurricular activities at school.

“He played volleyball, he wanted to go pro, but his next target was varsity. He was in marching band, he wanted to start improv, he always wanted to do something,” Stanley said.

The school said he played trombone, was involved in theatre, loved volleyball and had “a real passion for history.”

“Whether it was music, sports, or learning, Dylan brought joy and kindness everywhere he went,” the school said.

Colerain police said they found the vehicle they believe was involved in the crash the next day, at around 10 p.m. Oct. 5.

Police said the driver of the vehicle has been identified; however, police did not release that information, nor did they mention whether charges were being filed against the driver.

“I was pretty certain (the injuries) were definitely dire,” said Mike Robinson, a Cincinnati firefighter who lives near the crash and came to help when he caught wind of the emergency. “I could tell he was a young kid. It was kind of heart-wrenching.”

While out near the scene on Monday, a WCPO news crew heard multiple neighbors say the stretch of road poses a danger because of speeding drivers and a lack of street lighting.

“I probably won’t forget it, because it happened right in front of my house ... It just really strikes me because of the fact that I think the street is so dangerous,” Robinson said. “We need a stop sign or something — speed bumps. This is definitely a location that I think is worthy of speed bumps, as much as nobody likes them.”