Ohio Meteorologist Hollie Strano Was Arrested Following a Thanksgiving Car Crash

The Gist:

• WKYC meteorologist Hollie Strano was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Thanksgiving day.
• Hollie's blood alcohol levels were three times the legal limit, and she crashed her car into a utility pole while an officer was following her.
• Hollie's future at WKYC is uncertain, but fans have condemned her for making such a reckless decision.

WKYC TV on-air meteorologist Hollie Strano is likely familiar to many in Ohio, but recently, she was in the news for reasons that had nothing to do with her duties on air. Hollie has also been missing from recent broadcasts of WKYC, which led many to wonder what exactly happened to her. Many people in the area have been talking about it.

Reporting suggests that Hollie was arrested. Naturally, many viewers wanted to know what Hollie was arrested for and whether she released any sort of statement about the charges against her. Here's what we know.

Hollie was arrested and charged with an OVI, or operating a vehicle while under the influence. Her arrest came after she crashed her car on Akron-Peninsula Road on Thanksgiving.

According to the Cayuhoga Falls Police Department, they were alerted about a potentially intoxicated driver at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2023, and found Hollie driving a 2023 Cadillac XT5 SUV that was outside of its lane.

An officer reportedly began following her and said she reached speeds as high as 70 mph in a 35 mph zone as she drove toward the Akron border. Dashcam footage released following the crash shows Hollie's vehicle gradually moving into the other lane before veering hard to the right and off the road, straight into a utility pole. Police said that Hollie's blood alcohol level was at 0.244 percent, which is more than three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Hollie declined medical treatment and was released into the care of a third party. She is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 30, 2023, at 2 p.m. in Cuyahoga Falls Mayor's Court.

Hollie has yet to release any statement about the accident, but it seems that no one was hurt during the incident, including her. It's unclear what punishment she may ultimately face in connection with the charge.

In addition to Hollie's criminal punishment, we also don't know whether Hollie will continue to work at WKYC moving forward.

Micki Byrnes, general manager at WKYC Studios, said, "This is a personnel matter and we are not going to comment at this time."

Whatever the station's decision might be, then, it seems like they plan to make it internally before they announce anything to the public.

Those who watch WKYC clearly have strong opinions about the news, and weighed in in the comments on Hollie's Instagram. While some offered thoughts and prayers, most said that it was highly disturbing for someone like Hollie, who is in the media, to make the reckless decision to get behind the wheel of a car with such high levels of alcohol in their system.

We hope that Hollie gets the help she needs following the accident. Although she is a public figure, she is also human and people make mistakes. Thankfully this whole situation didn't end in a tragedy.