GRANVILLE – Jacob McDonald, 60, of Zanesville, has been arrested following a tragic crash on Interstate 70 last year that claimed the lives of six individuals. The Licking County Prosecutor’s Office has brought forward charges including six counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, nine counts of vehicular assault, and eleven counts of assault against McDonald.
The incident, which occurred on November 14, 2023, resulted in the deaths of Dave Kennat, 56, of Navarre; Kristy Gaynor, 39, of Zoar; Shannon Wigfield, 45, of Bolivar; John W. Mosley, 18, of Mineral City; Jeffery D. Worrell, 18, of Bolivar; and Katelyn N. Owens, 15, also from Mineral City. Mosley, Worrell, and Owens were students at Tuscarawas Valley High School.
Following testimony from an Ohio State Highway Patrol reconstructionist and others, the Licking County Grand Jury indicted McDonald on all 26 charges. A warrant for his arrest was subsequently issued.
On Thursday, July 18, troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Granville Post, assisted by the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office, executed the warrant and apprehended McDonald. He was taken into custody and booked at the Licking County Justice Center.
McDonald appeared before the Licking County Common Pleas Court on Friday, July 19, where he was assigned a bond of $1 million. The community awaits further developments as legal proceedings continue regarding this tragic and devastating incident on Interstate 70.
