UPDATE 1/28/19 @ 9:55 p.m.

A man from Gallipolis received the maximum sentence Monday for an aggravated vehicular homicide conviction.

Matthew S. Preston, 38, was sentenced to eight years in prison, according to Gallia County Prosecutor Jason Holdren's office.

The accident happened last August, killing Robert "Bobby" Baxter Jr., 66.

Investigators say at the time of the incident, Preston had nine different substances in his system, including heroin, amphetamine, methamphetamine, morphin, and fentanyl.

UPDATE 1/17/19 @ 5:45 p.m.

A man from Gallipolis was convicted Thursday of aggravated vehicular homicide, the Gallia County Prosecutor’s office says.

Matthew S. Preston, 38, appeared in Gallia County Common Pleas Court.

The accident happened last August, killing Robert "Bobby" Baxter Jr., 66.

Preston is set to be sentenced Jan. 29 and faces up to eight years in prison. The state is seeking the maximum penalty, according to the prosecutor’s office.

UPDATE 8/16/18 @ 6:15 p.m.

The driver charged with killing a man on a motorcycle had been arrested hours earlier for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. But he wasn’t sent to jail and emergency officials say he overdosed and was revived with naloxone hours before the first arrest.

Robert Baxter Jr., known by most as Bobby, 66, was killed on impact Wednesday.

His loved ones like Tonya Kelley are heartbroken and even troopers say they're devastated.

"I lost my friend here yesterday."

Kelley had to stop on her way to see Baxter’s family near the site where her friend died. She’s known Baxter since birth. Her parents worked with his parents so they grew up together.

Baxter recently retired as a boilermaker. She said he was a devoted son to his father, a devoted husband to his wife Patty and devoted father to his daughter Caroline, currently enrolled at Marshall University.

"He was kind and considerate,” said Kelley. “He really was."

Troopers said Baxter was going down a hill on State Route 588 just east of State Route 850 in the Rodney area when an SUV driven by Matthew Preston, 37, crossed the center line and hit Baxter head-on around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"Mr. Baxter really had nowhere to go," said Lt. Barry Call with Ohio Highway Patrol.

Lloyd Shaver lives on that hill and was working in his barn Wednesday afternoon.

"You could hear it. It was a big crash," he said.

Shaver and his grandson directed traffic until authorities arrived. He said traffic often speeds here and he's seen lots of wrecks in the last 27 years.

"Makes you feel bad because he perished down there," he said.

But responding troopers said Preston seemed to be impaired. He failed a field sobriety test and was arrested.

It’s a case of deja vu for troopers. Just 13 hours earlier, they arrested Preston for operating while intoxicated when saw him parked at a business on Jackson Pike around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"It's a little devastating. It's frustrating,” said Lt. Call. “As law enforcement we have a passion to make the roads as safe as we can."

But Preston didn't go to jail Tuesday night. Lt. Call said because he was complying with them, it's common practice to release him to the care of a sober driver rather than be taken to jail.

The same SUV was involved in both arrests too. It wasn’t towed from the first scene because Lt. Call said it was not Preston’s vehicle and it was not a hazard where it was parked.

"I wish the fatality never happened. We're doing the best we can,” said Call.

He won't comment on speculate on what was the cause for Preston's impairment either Tuesday night or Wednesday afternoon until blood tests come back. But he said naloxone was not needed at either scene.

However, Gallia County emergency officials said Preston has been revived with narcan an ‘extensive’ number of times in the last two weeks including on Tuesday morning, hours before his OVI arrest.

“It makes me mad, it makes me mad,” said Kelley. “How do you keep narcaning someone that is a waste of your time and a waste of your medicine?"

She said she wished laws were handled differently, comparing the result of a driver who overdoses on illegal drugs to a driver who drinks and drives.

"I wish we did it differently. Is there not a punishment?"

Kelley worries about impaired drivers "all the time” when she is on the road. That fear confirmed Wednesday afternoon with the death of a friend she's known her entire life, changing his family forever, changing the way she sees a familiar road.

"It will never be the same to come this way again," she said.

Baxter's daughter told us her dad was the best guy ever and it’s just not fair. Baxter has been riding motorcycles his entire life and loved them. In fact, his brother owns Baxter Harley Davidson in Gallia County.

Preston has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide. His initial court appearance is expected Friday and remains in the Gallia County jail Thursday night.

According to jailers, even without being taken to jail Tuesday night, he has been jailed seven times in the last 15 years: twice for drug abuse, once for domestic violence, once for marijuana possession, twice for violating probation and now aggravated vehicular manslaughter.

UPDATE 8/16/18 @ 2:23 p.m.

Charges have been filed againt the man accused of causing a deadly crash in Gallia County.

Matthew Preston, of Gallipolis, is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide. Investigators say he was impaired at the time of the crash.

The accident happened about 12:37 p.m. Wednesday on State Route 588 in Gallia County.

Troopers say Preston crossed the center line, hitting Robert Baxter Jr.'s motorcycle head-on. Baxter Jr. died from his injuries. He was 66 years old.

Preston and a passenger in the SUV were not seriously hurt according to troopers.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol released the update Thursday after talking with Gallia County Prosecutor Jason Holdren.

Preston is in the Gallia County jail until his next court appearance.

The victim was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

UPDATE 8/15/18 @ 5:02 p.m.

A man is dead after his motorcycle was hit head-on by an SUV.

Ohio State Highway Patrol tells WSAZ the accident happened about 12:37 p.m. Wednesday on State Route 588 in Gallia County.

Troopers say the driver of the SUV crossed the center line, hitting Robert Baxter Jr.'s motorcycle head-on.

Baxter Jr. died from his injuries. He was 66 years old. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

The driver of the SUV and a passenger were not seriously hurt.

Investigators say they suspect the driver of the SUV was impaired at the time of the crash. He was taken into custody at the scene.

The road was shut down for three hours but has since reopened.

Keep checking WSAZ Mobile and WSAZ.com for the latest information.

ORIGINAL STORY 8/15/18

Troopers are handling a deadly crash in Gallia County.

It happened on OH-588 near OH-850 according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Officers have already cleared the scene.

No other information has been released. An OSHP trooper told WSAZ they would issue a press release with more information.

Keep checking WSAZ Mobile and WSAZ.com for the latest information.