Ohio residents were recently shocked to learn of several pedestrians who were injured while attending a candlelight vigil. The vigil was being held in remembrance of a young man who recently died after he was also struck by a car. As friends, family and concerned citizens gathered to commemorate the young man's life, a car drove into the crowd hitting and injuring five pedestrians.

According to Ohio State Police, investigators do not believe the two hit-and-skip accidents to be related. As a crowd gathered for the vigil, witnesses report seeing a car turn off its lights and speed towards those who were gathered. The car sideswiped two other cars before crashing into the crowd and injuring the five pedestrians.

The car then sped away. Police were able to track the damaged vehicle to an apartment complex, but have yet to identify who was driving the vehicle when the car and pedestrian accident occurred.

The five injured men, who range in age from 19 to 21 years old, were all taken to a nearby hospital where they received medical treatment for their injuries. All men are expected to recover. All, however, will likely have permanent mental, emotional and physical injuries as a result of the accident.

Once the driver responsible for injuring the five pedestrians is identified and found, he or she will face criminal charges. It's also likely that the five pedestrians may choose to file personal injury lawsuits against the negligent driver. A personal injury lawsuit can help victims of car and pedestrian accidents recover compensation related to medical expenses, lost wages and permanent injuries.

Source: WKBN, "Police: Hit-Skip Accidents Not Related," Feb. 11, 2013