Former Ohio State offensive lineman Kirk Barton is facing an aggravated vehicular manslaughter charge following a fatal crash early Saturday morning, according to multiple reports.
Police in Dublin, Ohio, say Barton is suspected of speeding, although they haven’t said how fast they suspect him of driving, when his truck hit a car at 2:56 a.m. ET. The driver of that car, 24-year-old Ethan Wence Perry, died at the scene, ESPN reported Saturday.
Barton was driving a Ford F-150 Raptor pickup eastbound on U.S. 33 before he crashed into Perry’s westbound Lexus on West Bridge Street, just west of Franklin Street, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Barton, 40, was hospitalized briefly with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. He was later taken to Franklin County Jail, where he is facing the felony charge. Barton has a court hearing on June 23.
Barton was an offensive lineman for Ohio State from 2003-2007 and started at right tackle for four seasons. In his final season with the Buckeyes in 2007, he was team captain for the 11-2 Big Ten championship-winning OSU team.
Barton went on to play in the NFL, being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Barton has a history of traffic offenses dating back to his first year in the NFL, per The Columbus Dispatch’s report, including speeding and suspicion of OVI (Operating a Vehicle Impaired).
In all the speeding cases, Barton paid a fine. One OVI charge from 2010 was dismissed, and another from 2017 was pleaded down to reckless operation and failure to stop. He received another fine and a 180-day license suspension.
This is a developing story.
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