Jury selection got underway Monday, May 18, 2026, in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for a North Carolina man accused in a deadly Coitsville Township crash that killed a New Castle resident last April. Robert C. Powell, described as being in his mid-20s, is charged in connection with a two-vehicle collision that authorities say left 62-year-old John Kulnis dead. Court staff and attorneys spent the day questioning would-be jurors about possible biases and whether they could fairly weigh witness accounts and highly technical crash evidence.
Charges And Allegations
Prosecutors say Powell faces charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle and operating a vehicle while under the influence, according to WKBN. The station reports the OVI count carries a specification alleging this is Powell’s second OVI offense, which raises the stakes if jurors ultimately find him guilty.
Crash Details And Victim
Investigators say the collision happened April 10, 2025, at the intersection of U.S. Route 422 and North Hubbard Road when a pickup truck driven by Powell failed to yield and struck another vehicle, WFMJ reported. The other driver, identified as Kulnis of New Castle, was trapped in his vehicle after the impact and later died at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
A Mahoning County grand jury indicted Powell in June 2025. He entered a not guilty plea and was released on bond while the case moved toward trial, according to The Vindicator. The outlet noted that if Powell is convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, classified as a second-degree felony, he could face roughly eight years in prison. An Ohio State Highway Patrol reconstructionist assisted local police with the investigation, and both prosecutors and defense attorneys have indicated that reconstruction work and eyewitness testimony are expected to play a central role at trial.
What He’s Charged With And Potential Penalties
Under Ohio law, aggravated vehicular homicide as a second-degree felony carries substantial prison exposure. Improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle is charged as a lower-degree felony, while an OVI conviction can bring its own criminal penalties and license consequences, according to local reporting. WKBN reports that the repeat-offense specification on the OVI charge could increase potential penalties if it is proven.
Next Steps In Court
Lawyers on both sides expect jury selection to take several days as they question the pool and use challenges to shape the final panel. Once that panel is seated, the case is expected to move quickly into opening statements and witness testimony, and attorneys are likely to square off over the crash reconstruction and any chemical-testing evidence, according to local coverage by WFMJ.
Police met with Kulnis’s family early in the investigation, and local reports describe him as a longtime county maintenance worker and motorcycle enthusiast whose funeral took place in New Castle. Once a jury is seated in Mahoning County, proceedings are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with key witnesses tied to the April 2025 collision called to the stand, according to The Vindicator.
