YOUNGSTOWN — Tyler J. Johns was 17 when accused of turning his pickup truck in front of a couple on a motorcycle in Berlin Township on May 30, resulting in a crash that killed them. He now is charged in Mahoning County Juvenile Court with two counts of misdemeanor vehicular homicide.

Johns, now 18, of Twin Oaks Road in Deerfield, will be arraigned in juvenile court at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 3. Charges were filed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol after an investigation of the two-vehicle accident on U.S. Route 224 at Bedell Road in Berlin Center on the western edge of Mahoning County near Berlin Lake.

Killed were Joseph Olson, 62, and his wife, Christie Olson, 60, of Windham, who were riding a motorcycle. Joseph died May 30, and Christie died May 31.

If Johns is determined to have committed the offenses, he could get up to 90 days in juvenile detention on each count.

According to a highway patrol crash report, Johns was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado, and the Olsons were riding a 2012 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycle.

The Olsons were traveling east on Route 224, and the teen was traveling west on 224. Johns “failed to yield making the left turn (at Bedell Road), causing (the motorcycle) to overturn and strike” Johns’ truck, the report states. The Olsons were wearing helmets.

Johns advised a trooper that his parents were on their way to the scene, and “he did not want to answer any questions until they arrived.”

A witness told troopers she was traveling behind the pickup truck, which she said “started to make a left turn onto Bedell, then stopped,” according to the report. “Then the truck started to go again, and it struck (the motorcycle) that was traveling in the opposite direction.”

A highway patrol reconstructionist investigated the scene.

Another witness, who was on Bedell Road, stopped at the intersection. She told troopers she saw the truck turn left onto Bedell and strike the motorcycle.

Troopers took Johns to the highway patrol barracks in Canfield, where he told troopers he “did have his (sun) visor down in the truck due to the sun, but it was not blocking his view,” the report states.

Johns said he “did not see the motorcycle coming towards him. (He) stated he stopped due to to traffic, and once the vehicles had passed him, that is when he started to make the turn and the crash occurred.”

The speed limit on Route 224 is 55 mph in that area, and there is a “small curve in the road before Bedell Road approximately 457 feet east of the crash location,” the report states. “There is also a small curve in the roadway 369 feet after Bedell Road west of the crash location, and no view obstructions on the sides of the road,” the report states.

Troopers secured surveillance video of the crash from the TNT Drive-thru on Bedell Road, the report states.

The obituary for the Olsons stated that Joe was born in Warren, and Christie was born in Washington, Pa. Both were Windham High School graduates and were the parents of three children. Joe was superintendent of Hummel Construction in Ravenna, and Christie was retired as a house coordinator for Coleman Professional Services.

erunyan@vindy.com