WELLSTON, OH — An Ohio teenager has been committed to a juvenile corrections facility after pleading guilty in a crash that killed an off-duty police officer and left another officer seriously injured.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the 18-year-old entered guilty pleas on Oct. 5 to aggravated vehicular homicide, a second-degree felony, and aggravated vehicular assault, a third-degree felony. A Jackson County Juvenile Court judge then ordered the teen to remain in juvenile custody until age 21 and permanently revoked his driver’s license.
The case stems from a late-night collision in Wellston that investigators said involved intoxicated driving and a golf cart traveling on a city street.
Crash happened before dawn on South Pennsylvania Avenue
The crash happened around 2 a.m. on Aug. 30, 2025, on South Pennsylvania Avenue near Sixth Street in Wellston. The teenager was 17 at the time and was driving a 2014 Hyundai Accent, according to investigators.
Authorities said the Hyundai struck the back of a golf cart traveling south. The impact forced the golf cart off the left side of the road, where it hit a tree. The Hyundai came to a stop in the street.
Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated the collision and concluded the teen was intoxicated when the crash occurred. That finding became central to the felony charges that followed.
Matthew Juniper was killed and Brant Derrow was badly hurt
The passenger in the golf cart, Matthew Juniper, 25, of Wellston, died in the crash. Juniper was an off-duty member of the Wellston Police Department and had previously served with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver of the golf cart, Brant Derrow, 40, of Wellston, was seriously injured. Derrow is also a Wellston police officer, according to the release from the attorney general’s office.
The crash left the local law enforcement community dealing with the loss of one officer and the severe injuries to another in a single incident. Officials identified both men by name and said they were connected to the Wellston Police Department.
Guilty plea led to felony convictions in juvenile court
Wilson’s office said the teen pleaded guilty in juvenile court to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide and one count of aggravated vehicular assault. Both charges were tied to the same crash and the injuries that followed.
The plea came more than a year after the collision, which occurred when the defendant was still 17. Although he is now 18, the court handled the case through the juvenile system.
The plea resolved the case without a trial. Court action then shifted to sentencing, where the judge imposed confinement in a juvenile corrections facility until the defendant turns 21.
Judge ordered custody until age 21 and a lifetime license suspension
Along with the commitment to a juvenile corrections facility, the judge permanently suspended the teen’s driver’s license. That order means he will not legally regain driving privileges.
The commitment lasts until he reaches age 21, setting a fixed end date for juvenile custody under the court’s ruling. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the charges and the fatal consequences of the crash.
No additional details were included about further proceedings, and officials did not announce any separate penalty beyond the juvenile facility placement and license suspension.
Highway Patrol findings framed the case from the start
From the beginning, investigators focused on what happened after the Hyundai struck the golf cart on a Wellston street. The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the collision caused the golf cart to leave the roadway and hit a tree, intensifying the force of the crash.
The facts cited by investigators linked the collision to intoxication, the fatal injury to Juniper, and the serious injuries suffered by Derrow. Those findings supported the felony charges that were ultimately filed and resolved through the guilty plea.
The case stands as a local reminder of how a split-second crash can change several lives at once, especially when officers and community members are involved.
