Man tells police he accidentally shot himself, causing a car crash

A man told Dayton Police on Tuesday that he accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun in the passenger seat of a car.

A man told Dayton Police on Tuesday that he accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun in the passenger seat of a car.

An area man reported that he shot himself with his own gun during a car accident in Dayton on Tuesday.

Dayton Police received a call about a hit and run accident around 1:21 a.m. Tuesday. When police arrived to Grandview Medical Center, the officer noticed a red Pontiac Grand Am with heavy damage and deployed air bags parked in the emergency room lot, according to a police report.

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The officer spoke to the driver of the car who said he had lost control of his vehicle near West Stewart Street and struck a telephone pole.

One of two passengers told the officer that he had been cleaning his gun in his lap in the front seat of the car when the weapon “went off” and struck his left hand. Police checked the vehicle and found a bullet hole pointing inward, indicating that a bullet entered the car from the outside, according to a police report.

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The driver of the car then contradicted the passenger’s story, telling police that three of four gunshots rang out when he picked up the passenger. The driver said the gunshots startled him, causing him to lose control of his car, according to a police report.

The car has since been towed to an evidence garage for processing.

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