JACKSON COUNTY — An off-duty police officer died in a golf cart crash in Ohio on Saturday.
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The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) said the crash happened around 2 a.m. in Jackson County, according to our news partner WBNS in Columbus.
State troopers identified the 25-year-old man as Matthew Juniper.
The Wellston Police Department wrote in a social media post that he joined the department in 2021.
“Matt was truly one of a kind, everything you would want in a police officer and more,” the department said.
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An initial investigation showed that a registered golf cart was hit behind a 2014 Hyundai in Jackson County. The golf cart went off the road and hit a tree while the Hyundai came to a stop, according to an OSHP spokesperson.
Juniper was a passenger on the golf cart. Medics took him to a hospital where he died, WBNS said.
“Compassionate and fair, hard-working and dedicated to his craft, fun to work with, and a joy to be around,” the department said on Facebook. “Matt will be greatly missed by everyone on our team and in our community.”
The golf cart driver was airlifted to a West Virginia hospital.
OSHP said the Hyundai driver, a juvenile, had minor injuries.
The crash remains under investigation.
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