Former Ohio State offensive lineman Kirk Barton was sentenced to at least five years in prison for his role in a high-speed, wrong-way crash that killed a 24-year-old man in June 2025.
Barton pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped three additional charges, including a second count of aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of operating a vehicle while impaired. The presiding judge also ordered that Barton’s driver’s license be permanently suspended.
The crash involving Barton, 40, and Ethan Perry, 24, occurred on June 21, 2025. According to a release from Dublin Police, Barton was driving a pickup truck at a high rate of speed when he struck Perry’s vehicle on West Bridge Street at approximately 2:56 a.m. Perry, a Columbus native and Centennial High School graduate, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Barton sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. According to the police report, emergency medical personnel noted signs of intoxication, including slurred speech, bloodshot and glassy eyes, and the smell of alcohol. Barton told officers he had been drinking earlier but was unable to answer basic questions about his location.
According to WBNS 10TV, initial court documents indicated Barton’s blood alcohol content was 0.17 on the night of the crash. However, officials stated in court Wednesday that his BAC was actually 0.242 — more than three times the legal limit of .08.
Barton addressed the court during the proceedings, acknowledging his actions.
“I am pleading guilty because I am guilty,” Barton told the judge.
The court also heard from Ethan’s mother, Roslyn Perry, who spoke about the profound loss her family has endured since her son’s death nine months ago.
“Because of your selfishness, I will never be a mother of a groom or a grandparent,” she said. “Because of your selfishness, he doesn’t call me in the morning anymore.”
Court records show Barton had prior traffic violations, including an OVI charge in 2010 that was dismissed and a 2017 OVI that was reduced to reckless operation. The latter resulted in a fine and a 180-day license suspension.
Following Wednesday’s proceedings, Barton was taken into custody to begin serving his sentence.
