Top Headlines of the Week, Sept. 26, 2025

A fatal crash in Darby Township claimed the life of a 16-year-old Circleville High School student on Sept. 27.

Authorities report that a 17-year-old male was driving a Ford F-250 northwest on State Route 762 around 11:16 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle after it went off the right side of the road and struck a guardrail. The truck then crossed the roadway and crashed into a house on the 12500 block of State Route 762.

Drace Johnson, 16, was transported to Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital by EMS and later transferred to Mount Carmel East Hospital, where he died on Sept. 29. He was one of three teens in the truck at the time of the incident.

The driver has been charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The Pickaway County Sheriff's Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol are investigating the crash.

Johnson was a member of the Circleville High School wrestling team, who expressed their sorrow in a Facebook post, stating, “We lost one of our own far too soon. Drace was more than a wrestler; he was a teammate, a brother, a friend, and an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”

For more information, contact Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion at bagallion@dispatch.com.