Middletown man on the run for 2 years gets 8 years in prison for vehicular homicide

A Middletown man who spent two years on the run has been sentenced to eight years in prison for aggravated vehicular homicide in the 2022 death of another Middletown resident.

Ronnie Reed, 70, pleaded guilty in late January to the charge. In addition to the prison term, he received a lifetime driver’s license suspension and will be placed on mandatory post-release control for up to three years — but not less than 18 months — after his release, according to the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office.

Reed was arrested in December in Richmond, Indiana, by the city’s police department and the U.S. Marshals Service on outstanding warrants for aggravated vehicular homicide and drug trafficking. Three additional charges, including a third-degree felony count of aggravated vehicular homicide, were dismissed as part of the plea.

ExploreMan pleads guilty to vehicular homicide of Middletown man in 2022 crash

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Reed was indicted in April 2023 on aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of operating a vehicle under the influence. Prosecutors said he had alcohol and cocaine in his system at the time of the Oct. 8, 2022, crash.

Police said Reed was driving a white sedan when he struck a motorcycle head-on at Roosevelt Boulevard and Carolina Street. The motorcyclist, 42-year-old Christopher C. Parshall of Middletown, was killed.

Reed was scheduled to be arraigned in May 2023 in Butler County Common Pleas Court but never appeared. As of October 2024, he still had not made a court appearance, according to court records. A judge issued a warrant for his arrest in 2024 after he failed to show up for arraignment.

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About the Author

Bryn Dippold

Bryn Dippold joined the Journal-News staff in March 2025 and primarily covers the city of Middletown. Previously, she was associate editor for Cincy Magazine and worked as freelance copyeditor for Cincinnati CityBeat. She has had bylines in Cincinnati Magazine, The News Record and UC News.