CHILLICOTHE, Ohio. A 63-year-old Waverly man is in custody at the Ross County Jail after the Ohio State Highway Patrol says his Jeep struck a trooper who was directing traffic around overnight flooding on U.S. 23.
Todd R. Bosstic, date of birth July 8, 1963, was arrested Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, at 3:56 a.m. by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and booked into the Ross County Jail at 4:15 a.m., according to the jail’s public inmate record. The booking number is IN202601900. The arresting officer is listed as Bousquet. Bosstic remained in custody Sunday evening.
What troopers say happened
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says a trooper was helping the Ohio Department of Transportation with traffic control around flooding on U.S. 23 near Blain Highway about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. According to the patrol, a Jeep traveled along the northbound shoulder and struck the trooper with its side mirror.
The trooper was taken to a hospital and was reported to be recovering. Jail records available Sunday did not list a separate assault charge. The booked offenses are felony OVI and leaving the scene of an accident.
That sequence matters under Ohio law. Hitting a person or vehicle on a public highway, then failing to stop and remain at the scene to exchange required information, is charged as failure to stop after an accident under Ohio Revised Code 4549.02. At the property-damage or non-serious-injury level, that offense is a first-degree misdemeanor. The charge becomes a felony if the crash causes serious physical harm or death.
Charges and bond
Ross County Jail records list two charges:
• OVI, a third-degree felony, listed as “CHARGE,” with cash or surety bail set at $150,000
• Accident leaving scene, a first-degree misdemeanor, listed as “CHARGE,” with a holder and no separate bail amount shown
A third-degree felony OVI in Ohio is not a first-offense drunk driving case. Under R.C. 4511.19, an OVI is generally a third-degree felony when the accused has a prior felony OVI conviction, regardless of how long ago that conviction occurred. Other repeat-offender paths can also produce felony OVI charges, including a sixth OVI within 20 years. The jail record does not spell out which prior history, if any, produced the F3 listing. That will be a matter for prosecutors and the court.
A first-degree misdemeanor leaving-the-scene charge carries a possible jail term of up to 180 days and a fine of up to $1,000. A conviction under R.C. 4549.02 also requires a Class Five driver’s license suspension of six months to three years, and the first six months of that suspension cannot be waived.
The $150,000 cash-or-surety figure is high compared with a typical first-offense OVI bond. The jail record notes that listed bonds may not include the Ohio House Bill 1 bail surcharge or court costs due at release, which can add as much as $85 per bond.
As of the Sunday jail update, no judge or next court date was entered on the public booking screen.
Flooding on U.S. 23
The alleged strike happened during a documented flood event. Heavy rain Saturday night produced flash flooding in Ross and Pike counties. The Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 9 reported that U.S. 23 was closed around Blain Highway in Ross County and Woodland Park Road in Pike County because of high water. The National Weather Service warned of flooding on portions of U.S. 23 near the Pike-Ross county line, including areas around Waverly and Massieville.
Troopers and ODOT crews working a flooded highway at night are in a high-risk position. Ohio’s move-over and work-zone rules exist for that reason. Driving on the shoulder around people standing in or near the roadway is dangerous even when the driver is sober.
Anyone who saw a Jeep traveling the shoulder of northbound U.S. 23 near Blain Highway in the early hours of Sept. 13, or who has dashcam from that stretch of road, can contact the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Chillicothe Post at 740-775-7770.
Impaired driving remains one of the leading preventable threats on Ohio roads. If you see a suspected impaired driver, the patrol asks the public to call #677.
Bosstic is presumed innocent. The charges in the jail record are accusations, not findings of guilt.
