JACKSON COUNTY, Ohio — An 18-year-old accused of a crash that killed an off-duty Ohio police officer last year has entered a plea.
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The defendant, who was originally from Jackson County but has since moved to Athens County, pleaded guilty on Monday to a second-degree felony count of aggravated vehicular homicide and a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault in Jackson County Juvenile Court.
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“A teenager’s reckless decision to drive drunk cost a police officer his life and left another officer injured,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said. “This tragedy is a reminder of the devastating consequences that can result from drunken driving.”
The charges stem from a crash on Aug. 30, 2025, around 2 a.m.
A Hyundai Accent driven by the defendant, then 17 years old and intoxicated, rear-ended a golf cart traveling southbound on South Pennsylvania Avenue near Sixth Street in Wellston, Jackson County.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the impact forced the golf cart to veer off the left side of the road and hit a tree.
The Hyundai came to rest in the roadway.
The passenger in the golf cart, 25-year-old Matthew Juniper of Wellston, suffered fatal injuries in the crash.
Juniper was a four-year veteran of the Wellston Police Department and had previously served as a deputy with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver of the golf cart, 40-year-old Brant Derrow of Wellston, was seriously injured in the crash. Derrow was also a Wellston police officer.
A deposition hearing is scheduled for November.
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