The scope of Columbus' "carikaze" problem

Drivers in the Columbus area are repeatedly crashing into businesses, homes and other buildings — situations so "oddly frequent" there are now social media pages dedicated to tracking them all.

Why it matters: These repeated crashes are dangerous for drivers and pedestrians, and can be devastating to businesses.

Case in point: A suspected drunk driver crashed into Char Bar over Labor Day weekend.

• The Short North staple remains closed and it'll take at least a month to assess the damage and make repairs, per an Instagram post from last week.

Driving the news: The description of a new " Columbus Carikaze " Instagram account poses a question many are asking lately: "Why does this keep happening?"

• There's no single answer, though Columbus' reliance on cars likely isn't helping the situation, as one of the largest U.S. cities without passenger rail.

What they're saying: Paul Meara, a former local journalist and Columbus native, runs the Carikaze account from New York City with his roommate.

• While many poke fun at the bizarre spectacles on social media, he says he's sticking to "straight facts."
• "Some of these businesses are really affected," he tells Axios, adding he hopes highlighting the scope of the problem may help solve it.

Zoom in: Meara has tracked 35 crashes since 2022. Their suspected causes include police chasing stolen vehicles , medical emergencies , vehicle malfunctions , alleged drunk driving and plain old bad driving .

• Their brick-and-mortar victims include a Fox in the Snow Cafe, FishBurger, the Easton welcome sign, Nationwide Children's Hospital, two elementary schools, a Red Cross office, a seminary and the convention center.
• We've also reported on a historical marker and a veterans memorial destroyed by vehicles in recent years.

Between the lines: Cleveland and Dayton led Ohio in such crashes over the past 12 years, with Columbus ranking third, Columbus Underground reports using Storefront Safety Council data.

• The organization notes that many crashes go unreported. There are indeed far more crashes that don't make news headlines or Meara's list.

By the numbers: The Columbus Division of Fire reported 102 vehicle collisions with buildings or structures in just the first five months of 2024, WCMH-TV reports .

• However, the number of crashes requiring a medic response has slightly decreased in recent years.

The bottom line: "I don't know if there's any real explanation ... but right now I'm just trying to document it as best as I can," Meara tells Axios.