Charges filed against Ohio man who struck No Kings protester; officials say it was an accident

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Jackson Township man was charged Tuesday after police said he struck a ‘No Kings’ protester with his truck earlier this month.

Donald Frank, 77, hit a woman with his truck during the protest and sped away from the scene, prosecutors said.

Officials said the crash was accidental. Jackson Township Police Chief Mark Brink said in a statement that Frank had no intention of hitting the protester.

Frank is charged in Massillon Municipal Court with fleeing the scene of an accident and swerving off the road. Both charges are misdemeanors. He is scheduled for arraignment on Nov. 13.

It is unclear what injuries the woman suffered, but they were not serious enough to warrant felony charges, according to a statement from Jackson Township police.

The crash happened about 2 p.m. on Oct. 18 during a protest against President Donald Trump.

Police said Frank was driving his Ford F-150 westbound on Fulton Drive NW when he swerved to the right, drove over a curb, and struck a pedestrian who was standing about two feet off the curb, according to the crash report and police statements.

Following the crash, protesters took to social media to report that a man in a white truck had been seen driving past the demonstration and making obscene gestures before the incident.

Brink said evidence from license plate readers, 911 calls, video and interviews with Frank showed he was not the person who had been harassing protesters before the accident.