Michael Niesen, a senior respiratory therapy major, died early Sunday morning following a car accident that occurred just south of campus at the intersection of N. 4th Street and E. 5th Avenue.
Niesen, 30, who lived at 6471 Helm Court in Reynoldsburg, was to graduate this spring and was already working as a licensed respiratory therapist at Grant Medical Center.
“He was very intellectual and always on top of everything,” said Joe Yokum, a senior respiratory therapy major and classmate of Niesen. “He was the first one to pass the registry exam. Everyone in our class respected him.”
Niesen served in Operation Desert Storm with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. After his military service, he lived in New York City before returning to central Ohio.
Niesen’s classmates were saddened by the news of his death.
“He was a great person, a good all-round guy. We’re very sorry this happened to him,” Yokum said.
Initial reports indicated Niesen was driving his Honda Civic north on N. 4th Street at about 1 a.m. when he collided with a Honda Accord traveling east on E. 5th Street. One of the cars ran a red light, but it remains unclear as to which driver was at fault.
Niesen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initial reports also say the driver and passenger of the other car were transported to Ohio State University Medical Center. However, a nursing supervisor said only one person, Michael Rapp, 31, of Columbus, was treated at the hospital. Rapp was in fair condition late Sunday.
At press time, the condition of the other passenger remains unknown. It is also unclear whether Rapp was the driver or the passenger in the second car.
Niesen’s family could not be reached for information regarding funeral arrangements.
