JACKSON, Ohio — A Jackson County teenager is facing multiple charges in connection with a crash that killed an off-duty police officer and seriously injured another, according to Dave Yost.
The charges stem from a crash that occurred around 2 a.m. on August 30, 2025, along South Pennsylvania Avenue near Sixth Street in Jackson. Investigators with the Ohio State Highway Patrol say a 2014 Hyundai Accent, allegedly driven by an intoxicated 17-year-old, struck a golf cart from behind as it traveled southbound.
Authorities said the impact forced the golf cart off the roadway, where it collided with a tree. The Hyundai came to rest in the roadway.
One of the passengers in the golf cart, 25-year-old Matthew Juniper, died from his injuries. Juniper was a four-year veteran of the Wellston Police Department and previously served with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver of the golf cart, 40-year-old Brant Derrow, was seriously injured in the crash.
The teenager has been charged in Jackson County Juvenile Court with two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of aggravated vehicular assault, one count of vehicular assault, and two counts of operating a vehicle under the influence.
The case is being prosecuted by the Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section.
Authorities remind the public that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
