JACKSON, Ohio — An 18-year-old from Jackson County pleaded guilty Monday in juvenile court to charges stemming from a drunk-driving crash last year that killed an off-duty police officer and seriously injured another.
The defendant, who now resides in Athens County, admitted to one count of second-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide and one count of third-degree felony aggravated vehicular assault during an appearance in Jackson County Juvenile Court.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced the plea, pointing to the case as a severe warning regarding the risks of operating a vehicle under the influence.
“A teenager’s reckless decision to drive drunk cost a police officer his life and left another officer injured,” Wilson said in a statement. “This tragedy is a reminder of the devastating consequences that can result from drunken driving.”
The fatal crash occurred around 2:00 a.m. on Aug. 30, 2025. According to an investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the defendant—who was 17 years old and intoxicated at the time—was driving a 2014 Hyundai Accent northbound near the intersection of South Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street in Wellston.
The Hyundai rear-ended a golf cart traveling in the same direction, sending the golf cart off the left side of the roadway where it collided with a tree.
Matthew Juniper, 25, a passenger in the golf cart, sustained fatal injuries in the collision. Juniper was a four-year veteran of the Wellston Police Department and previously served as a deputy with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The driver of the golf cart, 40-year-old Brant Derrow, who is also a Wellston police officer, suffered serious injuries.
The case is being handled by the Special Prosecutions Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. A disposition hearing in Jackson County Juvenile Court is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Nov. 5.
