Stonelick Township Fire Chief Matthew Rose explains how a car traveled off of U.S. 50 and into a creek Feb. 20. Two people died as a result of the crash.

Stonelick Township Fire Chief Matthew Rose explains how a car traveled off of U.S. 50 and into a creek Feb. 20. Two people died as a result of the crash.
By Kristin Rover
Sun staff

A Goshen woman and a 4-year-old relative died after a crash in Stonelick Township Feb. 20.

Melissa Grubbs, 38, and Braxton Parker Fritz Grubbs, both passengers in the vehicle, were killed. Grubbs’ son Darin Grubbs, 18, of Goshen, who was driving the vehicle, survived the crash.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Batavia Post, the crash occurred at approximately 10:46 p.m. Feb. 20 on U.S. 50 in Stonelick Township.

Police investigation revealed that Grubbs was driving a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire east on U.S. 50 when he apparently fell asleep behind the wheel and traveled off the left side of the road.

Stonelick Township Fire Chief Matthew Rose, who responded to the crash, said after the vehicle went airborne it traveled off of the road, went through brush, and landed overturned in a creek below.

“Our units were on the scene within two minutes,” Rose said.

Rose said that he and other responders maneuvered down the bank and into the creek when they arrived on the scene and removed Braxton from his seat.

“We performed CPR on the child,” Rose said.

He said the child was transported to Clermont Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Rose said they also began searching for Melissa Grubbs, who was the other passenger.

He said the high water in the creek made it difficult to find Grubbs who had been carried away from the vehicle.

“When the creek receded we found the mother about two miles down stream,” Rose said. “The water was eight feet deep last night and moving about 20-30 miles per hour.”

Grubbs was found downstream from the crash at approximately 7:42 a.m., according to the highway patrol.

She was pronounced dead at the scene by the Clermont County Coroner.

Rose said Stonelick Township Fire Department was assisted by the Ohio Highway Patrol as well as Miami Township and Central Joint Fire and EMS.

The crash remains under investigation by the highway patrol.

Alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be factors in the crash.