PERRY TOWNSHIP, Columbiana County - On Sept. 21, 2024, on Georgetown Road, police reported that 24-year-old Kaylan Jones crossed over the center line, colliding head-on with a minivan.

The accident resulted in the deaths of husband and wife Richard and Joanne Hiner, who were inside the minivan.

According to Perry Township police, Jones claimed he had fallen asleep at the wheel just before the crash.

At the time of the crash, investigators said their work was only beginning. But a year later, many questions remain unanswered.

One major question is why no one has been charged.

Perry Township Police Chief Richard Kimble explained that the investigation is no longer under their control; it was forwarded to the Columbiana County Prosecutor's Office in July.

Prosecuting attorney Vito Abruzzino stated that they were not notified about the crash until July. When they received the case from the police, essential documents, such as medical records, were missing.

Chief Kimble mentioned that the delay in receiving autopsy reports from the Mahoning County Coroner's Office was beyond their control. Those records came from Mahoning County because the Hiners were taken to St. Elizabeth's in Youngstown.

In September of this year, those records arrived at the prosecutor's office. However, Abruzzino noted that the case is still under review, and no prosecutor has been assigned to it yet. Therefore, it is unclear what charges, if any, will be filed.

If prosecutors decide to move forward with charges, Abruzzino stated that the case should go to the grand jury within the next couple of months.