By Mark Pszonak
Following a tragic car accident over the weekend and his resulting arrest, former Ohio State All-American offensive lineman Kirk Barton appeared in Court on Monday. According to Eleven Warriors, Barton, who is facing a second-degree felony charge of aggravated vehicular homicide/manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence, had his bond set at $500,000.
The accident occurred in Dublin, Ohio, where police report that Barton was driving a Ford F150 Raptor pickup truck early Saturday morning when he collided with a Lexus. The driver of the Lexus, Ethan Wence Perry, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene. Barton was released into police custody after being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.
Court documents show Barton was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road before the crash. After the crash, police said he had slurred speech, as well as an odor of alcohol from his breath.
Barton has had previous alcohol-related offenses, including arrests in 2010 and 2017, when he pleaded guilty to lesser charges. In 2018, Barton was also charged following a drunken altercation with police at the Memorial Golf Tournament.
Barton was an offensive guard for the Buckeyes from 2003 to 2007 and was an All-American during his final season in Columbus. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He bounced around the league for three seasons, also spending time with Miami, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Detroit, Denver and Carolina. Currently, he is the owner and co-founder of BuckeyeScoop.com.
