Former NFL Player Gets Lengthy Prison Sentence for Deadly Killing

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Bad decisions lead to terrible consequences, and Kirk Barton is finding that out this week.

The former Ohio State and Cincinnati Bengals football player turned a road in Dublin, Ohio, into a scene of tragedy in 2025. Barton was driving through around 3 a.m. when his pickup truck slammed into another vehicle, killing 24-year-old Ethan Perry.

Accidents happen, but this was much more than that; it was recklessness. Barton initially faced two charges, each of vehicular homicide and operating a vehicle while impaired. Kirk Barton had been out drinking, his attorney said, when he turned onto West Bridge Street in Dublin. He was driving his truck at 126 mph before he crashed into Perry.

The crash was so devastating that Perry was pronounced dead at the scene. Barton’s blood alcohol content measured at .242%. Instead of fighting his charges, he decided to take responsibility.

Kirk Barton Is Headed To Prison

Barton pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide. He apologized to Ethan’s loved ones. “I would give anything to trade places with him, but I can’t, and I am just so sorry,” he said, per 10tv.

Roslyn, Ethan’s mother, said she did not accept the apology. That was her only child. “Because of your selfishness, I will never get to be a grandparent,” she told him.

Because he pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony, he was sentenced to five to seven and a half years in prison and three years of post-release control. His driver’s license will also be suspended for the rest of his life.

Barton was also fined $10,000, but that fine was suspended. Ethan’s family plans to file a civil lawsuit.

Perry graduated from Centennial High School and was employed at a local Nissan dealership when he died. Kirk Barton was a standout offensive lineman for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2003 to 2007. He earned first-team All-American honors and served as a team captain during his final season.

Barton was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft and had brief stints with several professional teams.