PICKAWAY – A Junction City man has been charged with the death of a 20-year-old woman when he attempted to evade police and crashed in November in Circleville, and this isn’t the first time the man was behind the wheel when someone died in a crash.
Damien Butcher received 5 to 7 1/2 years in prison for Felony Fleeing and Eluding, and Aggravated Vehicular Homicide. He also received a lifetime ODL suspension.
Around 12:05 pm on November 27th, Circleville Police department attempted to stop a vehicle at Court and Main and the vehicle took off from police.
Circleville Officers gave pursuit south on Court Street by Mcdonalds, then North on US 23 then the car cut down the on ramp and Westbound on Main Street through the US 23 intersection on US 22/56. At that time Circleville Police reported speeds of around 80 mph. Circleville gave chase out 22 West past the 56/22 Intersection until the chase was deemed unsafe and cut off pursuit between 56 and 104.
Pickaway Sheriff office who was in contact with police was heading to the area to try to find the vehicle in question when one of the Deputies found on the accident on 24000 block of Sisk rd, around 12:20 pm.
When the Deputy arrived on scene he saw the 22-year-old Damien A. Butcher had fled the scene of the accident from climbing out the back window of the car and was running into a adjacent field. Two Deputies gave chase to the individual, eventually deploying the officers K9 unit who stopped the pursuit.
Butcher was transported to Berger Hosptial then Grant Hosptial, a passenger 22-year-old Sara Embry was checked out by EMT on scene and then released, and the third female Tayler R. Fowler, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene.
On January 9th Butcher was indicted by Pickaway County Grand Jury on charges of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and Failure to comply with the order of a police officer.
Butcher was arrested in Fairfield county the same week on charges of Obstructing Official business and held in Fairfield county jail on a warrant on indictment from Pickaway County. Butcher was transferred to the Pickaway County Jail on February 3rd where he was being held until court.
Sciotopost has uncovered that this is not the first time Butcher has been charged with a vehicular death. In 2017 Butcher was driving a car in Fairfield county just North of Lancaster on State Route 158, when the vehicle he was driving crashed into a utility pole. Three people were in the accident also, and the passenger of the car Melissa Sell, 37 of Lancaster was pronounced dead at the scene. In December 14, 2018 Butcher was found not guilty during a jury trial of similar charges.
