A Scioto County judge handed down a devastating sentence this week in one of the region’s most heartbreaking and horrifying cases: 24-year-old Gage Smith will spend at least the next 60 years behind bars after being convicted of four counts of murder and more than 30 other felonies connected to a crash that wiped out an entire carload of lives — including three young children and their mother.
💔 One Reckless Decision, Four Innocent Lives Lost
It was supposed to be a day of celebration — 6-year-old Madison Copas had just graduated from kindergarten. Instead, the ride home on May 24, 2024, turned into a death sentence for Madison, her 4-year-old sister Navy, her 5-year-old brother Xavier, and her mother, 28-year-old Courtney Copas.
All four died after the car driven by Gage Smith — high, unlicensed, and behind the wheel of a deathtrap — crashed head-on into a truck pulling a camper on Route 104 in Lucasville. Prosecutors say Smith was driving over 80 mph, weaving through traffic, and operating a car with faulty brakes that he had intentionally tampered with.
😡 A Recipe for Tragedy
Investigators testified that Smith:
- Had no driver’s license
- Crimped his brake lines and used the emergency brake to stop
- Was high on THC, Hydrocodone, and Oxycodone
- Had nearly 100 illegal painkillers on him
- Was texting about drug sales just hours before the wreck
And only one child was properly restrained in the car. The back seat — where all three children were sitting — took the brunt of the crash.
Despite the catastrophic collision, Smith walked away with only minor injuries. The same couldn’t be said for his passengers or for the first responders left to face the mangled wreckage and dying children.
⚖️ Justice Served in Scioto County
Smith waived a jury trial, leaving Judge Mark Kuhn to determine his fate after a three-day bench trial. Prosecutors argued that Smith’s calculated recklessness — from the sabotaged brakes to the drug use — showed he knew exactly what kind of deadly risk he was creating.
Judge Kuhn agreed, convicting Smith of four counts of murder, multiple counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, child endangerment, drug trafficking, and more. He’ll now serve four consecutive 15-to-life sentences — meaning he won’t be eligible for parole until he’s 82.
🧑⚖️ “We Didn’t Set Out to Make an Example — The Evidence Did”
“This wasn’t about emotion,” said Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman. “It was about holding someone accountable for conduct so outrageous, so knowingly dangerous, that the outcome was all but certain.”
Tieman praised the heroic efforts of troopers, medics, and Good Samaritans who risked their lives trying to save the children trapped in the wreckage. One trooper was even injured trying to rip the crumpled vehicle apart.
🙏 A Community Forever Changed
The tragedy has left a permanent scar on the region — on the first responders who fought to save those children, on the families left behind, and on the community that now mourns four preventable deaths.
“The impact of this case goes far beyond the courtroom,” Tieman said. “We hope this sentence brings even a sliver of peace to the loved ones who have suffered the ultimate loss.”
As for Gage Smith, he’ll spend the rest of his youth, and most of his life, behind bars — a stark and somber reminder that reckless choices can destroy lives in seconds.
