Bond was set at $1 million Tuesday in Licking County court for an Iowa man charged in the April 15 fatal tractor crash near Hebron.
Authorities said Derek Baldwin, of Altoona, Iowa, appeared in Licking County Common Pleas Court following his arrest Thursday on an aggravated vehicular homicide charge.
Investigators said Baldwin was driving a pickup truck “recklessly” on State Route 79 near the Hebron village limits when he cut off a group of motorcyclists and swerved, striking a tractor operated by Alan Kissell, 77. Kissell died at the scene, authorities said.
According to court documents, Baldwin ran off on foot after the collision. A witness who tried to stop him reported Baldwin said, “My life's over,” before leaving.
According to Licking County prosecutors, receipts show Baldwin purchased two beers at a nearby bar roughly an hour before the crash. Investigators said the located pickup showed significant front-end damage and a “headprint” on the inside of the windshield.
Hebron Police detained Baldwin after a brief search, authorities said.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 3 p.m., according to the court.