Two of the deadly crashes happened in the Miami Valley. Early Friday morning, a vehicle crashed into a drainage ditch on Ross Hanover Road in Hamilton in Butler County, killing one of the vehicle’s occupants. One person was transported to the hospital by and ambulance, and a second person with serious injuries was transported via a medical helicopter.
On Friday evening, a 1-year-old girl was killed in a crash involving a buggy and car on state Route 49, north of Oregon Road in Liberty Twp. in Mercer County.
The car was traveling north when it crossed into the southbound lane to pass a van, according to Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey. The car hit the buggy, which was heading south, head on.
The driver of the car was ejected and transported to a hospital by medical helicopter.
A family of four was in the buggy. A 24-year-old man, his 26-year-old wife and their 3-year-old son were taken to Mercer Health. The woman, who is seven months pregnant, was then transferred to Miami Valley Hospital.
The couple’s 1-year-old daughter, Roseanne Schwartz, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
Twenty-one people were arrested for illegal drugs and 213 people were arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired across Ohio during that period.
The nine fatalities were the fewest reported in the last four years, according to OSHP. Twelve people died in crashes in both 2020 and 2022. In 2021, there were 10 fatalities.
This year, there were 228 safety belt violations and 75 distracted driving violations issued over the Christmas holiday, OSHP said. The patrol also assisted 1,049 motorists on Ohio roadways.
The public is encouraged to continue using 677 to report dangerous or impaired drivers, as well as drug activity.
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