Bond Set For Ex-Ohio State Football Star Involved in Fatal Car Accident
Former Ohio State football captain and NFL offensive lineman Kirk Barton appeared in court Monday following a fatal car crash over the weekend.
Barton, 40, is facing a second-degree felony charge of aggravated vehicular homicide/manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence. He appeared in Franklin County Municipal Court this morning and had his bond set at $500,000, according to Eleven Warriors.
Barton is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on July 1. If convicted, the Naples, Florida native faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of two to eight years.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, Barton will not be allowed to drive and must wear an electronic alcohol monitoring bracelet as conditions of his bond.
Police in Dublin, Ohio say Barton was driving his Ford F150 Raptor pickup truck at a high rate of speed eastbound on U.S. 33 early Saturday morning when he collided with a Lexus on West Bridge Street.
The driver of the Lexus, Ethan Wence Perry, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene. Barton, meanwhile, was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries and eventually released into police custody.
The former Ohio State All-American reportedly showed signs of impairment, including slurred speech and alcohol on his breath, and admitted to drinking before the accident.
"Mr. Barton was unable to answer basic questions about the evening and the crash," court records say.
Barton played for the Buckeyes from 2003-07 and was a draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 2008. He is also the current owner and co-founder of BuckeyeScoop.com.
"We just learned of the devastating news regarding Kirk’s involvement in a fatal incident," Buckeye Scoop said in a statement Saturday. "We are heartbroken for Ethan Perry and his loved ones. This is a tragedy. At this time, we are gathering information and will have more to say when appropriate."
Barton has had numerous run-ins with the law over the years, including charges of felonious assault of a police officer and resisting arrest in 2018.