A 25-year-old Wellston police officer died and another was injured when a golf cart was rear-ended in Jackson, Ohio, at 2 a.m. Aug. 30, 2025.
Authorities said the cart, carrying Officer Matt Juniper and another Wellston officer, was struck from behind by a 2014 Hyundai Accent traveling southbound on South Pennsylvania Avenue near Sixth Street.
The cart left the roadway and hit a tree, according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
Authorities identified the deceased as Officer Matt Juniper, 25; the second officer was injured. Authorities said Juniper was off duty at the time.
According to the Ohio Attorney General's Office, the driver who struck the cart is 17 years old and allegedly intoxicated.
Prosecutors said the teen was charged as a juvenile with 2 counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, 1 count of aggravated vehicular assault, 1 count of vehicular assault, and 2 counts of operating a vehicle under the influence.
The Ohio Attorney General's Office Special Prosecutions Section is prosecuting the case.