Infant killed, others seriously injured in crash

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP - A 1-year-old girl was killed and two adults, including a pregnant woman, were seriously injured after a car crashed into a horse-drawn buggy on Friday evening.

Mercer County Central Dispatch received a call reporting a crash at State Route 49 north of Oregon Road at 5:18 p.m. Friday, according to a news release from sheriff Jeff Grey.

A preliminary investigation reported that Trey Frech, 24 of New Paris was driving a 2016 white Chevy sedan northbound on State Route 49. John Schwartz, 24, of Celina was traveling with his family southbound in a horse driven buggy.

Frech allegedly went into the southbound lane to pass a northbound van and struck the Schwartz buggy head-on, ejecting Frech from his vehicle, according to the release.

Frech was air lifted from the scene by Lutheran Air and transported to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Schwartz was transported by Celina EMS to Mercer County Community Hospital in Coldwater and treated and released.

Elizabeth Schwartz, 26, who is seven months pregnant, was transported by Celina EMS to Community Hospital and later transferred to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. John Schwartz Jr., 3, was transported by Celina EMS to Community Hospital.

Roseanne Schwartz, 1, was pronounced dead at the scene. The horse was seriously injured and later died, according to the release.

A reporter at the scene witnessed a helicopter land near the crash site as a dozen or more emergency vehicles stretched across State Route 49. State Route 49 was closed from Koch Road to Frahm Pike, and emergency personnel remained at the scene for hours.

Assisting at the scene were members of the Chatt Fire Department, Celina EMS, Rockford EMS and MCERV.

The sheriff's office crash reconstruction team was called to the scene. The crash remains under investigation and will be forwarded to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office for review.