COITSVILLE — Robert C. Powell, 24, of West End, N.C., was released from the Mahoning County jail Monday after posting bond of $127,500 in a fatal, 6:50 p.m. Thursday crash on U.S. Route 422 at South Hubbard Road in Coitsville, east of Campbell.

Powell was charged with second-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide, a low-level felony of improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, misdemeanor drunken driving and misdemeanor of failure to yield the right of way. Coitsville police Chief Michael Morris said two firearms were found in Powell’s vehicle.

Powell refused to submit to a blood alcohol test, Morris said.

Powell’s vehicle came in contact with a vehicle driven by John Kulnis, 62, of New Castle, Pa., who was pronounced dead later at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, Morris said. The crash happened at an intersection with stop signs on Hubbard Road but none on U.S. Route 422, according to Google Maps. Morris said Powell was in town working as a contractor who runs fiber-optic cable.

During Powell’s arraignment Friday morning in Campbell Municipal Court, bond was set at $127,500 on Powell’s four charges. No pleas were entered on any of the charges, according to online municipal court records. Acting Judge Miriam Ocasio presided over the arraignment. Powell was found indigent, meaning not able to pay for his own lawyer, according to court records.

If convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, Powell could get more than eight years in prison. The Coitsville Police Department filed the charges, but a trooper from the Ohio State Highway Patrol carried out a reconstruction of the crash, according to an OSP dispatcher.

Powell returns for his second hearing in Campbell Municipal Court at 11 a.m. Thursday. While Powell is free on bond, he will be on house arrest, court records state.

The drunken-driving charge is a first-degree misdemeanor, and failure to yield the right of way is a minor misdemeanor.

Kulnis was a 1980 graduate of Lawrence County Vo-Tech who worked since 2019 at the Lawrence County Courthouse in recycling and solid-waste management, according to his obituary. He also served as director of maintenance at Cray Youth & Family Services of New Castle, Pa., it states.

Cray’s programming serves children and youth who are neglected, abused, delinquent or have a mental health diagnosis, according to the Cray Youth & Family Services website. The organization also works with parents whose children are at risk for out-of-home placement or are working on reintegrating a child back into the home.

Kulnis was a motorcycle enthusiast, loved to travel and enjoyed the outdoors, his obituary states.

In 2024, Kulnis was presented with the Environmental Education Award by the Lawrence County Conservation District, which recognized his outstanding commitment to preserving the environment and natural resources. He previously worked as a zoning administrator and property manager in Virginia and Florida, his obituary states.

His calling hours will be today at J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory in New Castle, Pa.