COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — The driver behind the wheel of a New Year’s Day crash pleaded not guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and OVI charges following the deaths of Keith and JoEllen ‘Joey’ Klatt.
The year 2025 was meant to be a milestone for Keith and Joey Klatt, who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first grandchild. Instead, their family is now seeking justice after the couple was killed in a crash on New Year’s Day.
Minutes before the fatal crash, Keith and Joey Klatt were involved in a minor accident at the Alkire and Norton Road intersection. As they stood near their car around 1 a.m., Joseph Moore’s pickup truck struck them with enough force to push their vehicle out of the intersection.
Moore’s attorney, Sam Shamansky, stated that the entire incident was captured on camera, saying, “Curiously, a video from a dashcam that was unrelated to this incident exists, which depicts the events in pretty clear detail. We will be pretty eager to view that.”
Moore pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated vehicular assault, and two counts of operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI). A judge set his bond at $50,000 with the understanding that he is not to drive or drink alcohol.
Ohio’s OVI laws recently became stricter with the implementation of Liv’s Law, which increases prison time and fines for those convicted of drunk driving-related charges. House Bill 37 also strengthens punishment for those previously convicted of an OVI-related offense.
Liv’s Law is named after Ohio native Olivia Wright, who was hit and killed by a drunk driver in 2020.
Advocates have praised these changes as a step in the right direction.
“One of the things we discussed at length with Representative Johnson and later Representative Miller was how lacking OVI laws are in the State of Ohio compared to other states. And how the current enhancement structure in the State of Ohio is amongst the weakest in the nation,” Bryan Wright said at a Senate Subcommittee meeting in December.
The Klatt family is also exploring the possibility of holding the bar where Moore had been drinking accountable. Court documents reveal they are investigating whether the establishment could be liable for potentially overserving him.
“The reality is you can talk about strengthening the laws all you want,” Shamansky told WSYX on Wednesday. “We are still going to have the same amount of alcohol-related deaths year in and year out, and why is that? Because we sell alcohol to everybody that will guzzle it. And we have vehicles that are able to be driven without any sort of intervention.”
Moore’s next court date has yet to be set. If convicted, he could serve up to 46 years in prison. The Klatts have two adult children who were not reachable for an interview on Wednesday.
