Teen driver was intoxicated in crash that killed off-duty police officer in Ohio, officials say

A 17-year-old driver was intoxicated when his vehicle rear-ended a golf cart, killing an off-duty police officer last year, authorities in Ohio said. 

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a news release on Tuesday that the 17-year-old boy has been charged 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 of alcohol or drugs in Jackson County Juvenile Court.

Officer Matthew Juniper with the Wellston Police Department was killed in the crash on Aug. 30, 2025. Yost said the teen was intoxicated and driving a Hyundai Accent when he rear-ended a golf cart traveling southbound on South Pennsylvania Avenue near the intersection of Sixth Street in Wellston around 2 a.m.

Juniper was a passenger in the golf cart and was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. The driver of the golf cart, also a Wellston police officer, was seriously injured in the crash, Yost said. 

Juniper, who joined the Wellston Police Department in 2021, was remembered as "truly one of a kind."

"Matt was truly one of a kind, everything you would want in a police officer and more," a Facebook post from the department said after his death. "Compassionate and fair, hard-working and dedicated to his craft, fun to work with and a joy to be around."

The 17-year-old boy reportedly sustained minor injuries.