A 78-year-old man will serve probation instead of prison time for a 2025 pickup truck crash that killed a Drexel firefighter and injured the firefighter's wife in the office area of a Louisburg building that housed a hair salon and office space. Robert Korenich was sentenced to one year of probation after accepting a plea deal in the case.
According to FOX4, Korenich pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor charge of vehicular homicide and a misdemeanor battery charge. A separate account from KOFO describes the agreement differently, reporting that Korenich pleaded guilty to amended charges of vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, and aggravated battery. KOFO also reports the court handed down an 18-month sentence that was then suspended, with Korenich placed on one year of probation.
The Crash That Killed Anthony Juarez
The case traces back to March 18, 2025, when, at about 12:30 p.m., a pickup truck crashed into an office and the adjacent Safari Hair Styling salon in Louisburg, Kansas, per the station's report. Drexel firefighter Anthony Juarez and his wife, Devin, were both taken to the hospital after the crash. Devin survived, but Juarez died later that same day from his injuries, the same account notes.
Early coverage from The Kansas City Star described a truck leaving the road and crashing into the building, located in the 900 block of West Amity Street. ABC17 reported at the time that the pickup truck struck a man and a woman inside the building, and that Juarez died from his injuries around 9 p.m. that Tuesday. KOFO's more recent sentencing report says Juarez died from injuries sustained after a pickup truck, reportedly driven by Korenich, crashed into the Agape's Grace office on Amity Street.
Charges Shifted Before the Plea
Korenich was originally charged with felony involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as vehicular homicide and multiple other charges, FOX4's report states. He will not go to prison under the sentence he ultimately received.
Nine Years of Service to Drexel
Juarez was a firefighter with the Drexel Fire Department for nine years, according to the department. He left behind his wife and four children. He responded to calls for the department whenever he was available, including leaving home or his full-time job to answer them, and the department retired his radio number, 1811, to memorialize and honor him.
Outside the firehouse, Juarez performed with his band, 68 Overpass, including at the Drexel Pumpkin Festival. Noe Palma, who told FOX4 about Juarez in 2025, described him as an uplifting person who made people smile, saying Juarez wanted people to hear his music and have a song that changed their day. Sheryl Booker told the station that Juarez was a big part of the community.
The conflicting accounts of Korenich's exact plea and sentence come from two separate local reports, and the full court docket, plea agreement, and sentencing order were not available for this story. A provided excerpt of Kansas's vehicular homicide statute, from the Kansas State Legislature, describes a killing resulting from operation of a motor vehicle in a manner creating an unreasonable risk of injury to a person or property, but the text does not fully spell out the offense as applied in this case.
