Fourth person dies in Scioto County traffic accident that killed three children

SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio – A fourth person has died in a traffic accident in Scioto County that killed three young children last week.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, officers received a call on May 24 about a two-vehicle crash on State Route 104 in Morgan Township.

According to OSHP, 22-year-old Gage Smith of Piketon was driving a Chevrolet Cavalier northbound on State Route 104. After passing another northbound vehicle, Smith lost control, veered left-center and struck an oncoming southbound vehicle.

Three children in Smith’s vehicle died in the crash. They were identified as 4-year-old Navy Copas, 6-year-old Madison Copas and 5-year-old Xavier Smith.

A woman, identified as 28-year-old Courtney Copas of Piketon, was taken to Grant Medical Center with serious injuries. OSHP said it received confirmation on May 31 that Copas had died from her injuries.

Smith was treated at the hospital and is currently in custody at the Scioto County Jail. According to OSHP, he was believed to be under the influence of drugs and his impairment was likely a factor in the accident.

Smith is currently charged with three counts of aggravated manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault. It is unclear if the charges will be changed following Copas’ death.

Local News: Latest Reporting ⬇️

📺 10TV+ is available for free: Stay up to date with what’s happening in your community with 24/7 live stream and on-demand content from 10TV – available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.

📧 Subscribe to the Wake Up CBUS newsletter with the best stories, personally curated by our staff and delivered by email Monday through Friday by 6am.