Roslyn Perry said that, in the days since her son died in an early-morning vehicle crash that led to the arrest of a former Ohio State University football standout, comfort has been hard to come by.
What little she’s gleaned amid the pain of the loss of her only child comes from the stories that friends in the community he built for himself in Columbus have shared with her about how much love he brought to other people’s lives.
“He had such an old soul, and because of that, he was just able to relate to so many different people in so many different ways,” she said. “That’s what made him such a good person and wonderful person to be around and associated with.”
Ethan Perry, 24, died June 21, shortly after a truck driven by Kirk Barton, 40, of Lewis Center, smashed into his Lexus at the intersection of Bridge and Franklin streets in Dublin.
In the hours after the crash, Ethan’s friends organized a vigil near the site where he lived his last moments. Many of them have reached out to his mom, who lives in Pennsylvania, to check on her in the days after she lost her son.
“Basically, for all his life, it’s been he and I. When I had to relocate to Pennsylvania for a job, he wanted to stay in Columbus,” Perry said. “As a mom, you worry. Is he going to be OK? He just had such a wonderful village of people that just embraced him.
“When people began calling and texting and reaching out, it made me feel like, OK, he did make the right decision. I see why I didn’t have to worry. He was in good hands with the people who embraced him in Columbus.”
Cars were Ethan Perry’s passion
Ethan Perry was a car enthusiast who worked for Georgesville Nissan, where he began his career as an express technician and eventually advanced to the role of parts adviser. His mom said she was glad he got the recognition he deserved while he was alive, being named Service Member of the Month in May and Employee of the Month for June.
“He was a hard worker, but he was such an enthusiastic worker,” Roslyn Perry said. “That was his passion. It wasn’t work for him. It was being around the cars and being able to go out and interact with folks, and he was delivering his parts and doing his job.”
Eddie Fletcher remembers when the dealership hired Ethan five years ago, saying they had an almost instant connection. Fletcher said he was amazed at how Ethan engrained himself in the larger car community in Columbus.
“You could see that drive him,” Fletcher said.
Ethan aspired to marry his love of cars and motorsports by making videos for YouTube and social media. He named his YouTube channel — Epeezy — after the nickname Fletcher gave him.
“He called me cousin, and I called him Peezy,” Fletcher said. “Deep down, that was part of his heart. He just loved making good things for people to watch. But he put his whole brain into it. That was one of his true passions.”
‘You took my one and only child from me’
Roslyn Perry said she remains angry that Barton, who court records show has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence at least two times before the crash that killed her son, was able to drive. Franklin County court records in each of Barton’s prior OVI arrests show he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
“The fact that my son lost his life because someone cannot let go of a drink of alcohol … my son had his whole life ahead of him,” she said. “The fact that the stories lead with former Ohio State standout, I don’t care about that. The bottom line is you took my one and only child from me.”
Barton, who played football at Ohio State University, has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide in connection with the crash. Court records say Barton is suspected of being under the influence and had been driving recklessly, including the wrong way on a portion of U.S. 33, before the crash.
Franklin County Municipal Court records show Barton posted a $500,000 bond on June 23 and was released from the Franklin County jail. His case is scheduled to be reviewed by a county grand jury for possible indictment and consideration of additional charges before July 1.
“There should have been no bond,” Perry said of Barton. “This is a level of privilege that, even if my son was alive, he would have never have had. The fact that there are multiple offenses that are associated with this individual, it’s not fair.”
Fletcher echoed his friend’s mother, saying that he felt sorry for Barton’s family, but added that his friend had so much life to live.
“So many people loved this guy,” Fletcher said. “I’m angry. I’m upset. It just feels so unfair.”
‘A bright light in this world’
Fletcher said that because he didn’t live near his mother, Ethan spent many holidays, cookouts and events at Fletcher’s home and with Fletcher’s family.
“They always say, ‘Man, he is always happy. You cannot keep him down,'” Fletcher said. “He treats everybody the same.”
Perry’s mother said she is continuing to put together arrangements to honor her son’s life and memory, but finds some solace in the memories that have been shared with her since his death.
“My son was the best thing I have ever done in my life,” she said. “The absolute best.”
“I want him to be remembered as a very bright light in this world,” Fletcher said.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: ‘A bright light in this world’: Dublin OVI crash victim remembered for love of cars, creating
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
