By Marie McCain
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ROSS TWP. - One person was killed and several others injured Saturday in separate crashes in this Butler County township.

The first wreck occurred shortly before 10 a.m. along U.S. 27 at Kirchling Road.

Gerald Gipperich, 57, of Hamilton, died after his southbound Geo Metro was struck head-on by a northbound Ford Explorer driven by Tyler Dickerscheid of Cleves.

Investigators said Dickerscheid crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. Another southbound vehicle, a GMC Suburban driven by Lori Dunn, of Hamilton, struck the passenger side of the Explorer as it spun out of control.

A passenger in Gipperich's car, along with Dunn, two passengers in her vehicle, and Dickerscheid were transported to Fort Hamilton Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

At about 2 p.m., at Ohio 748 and Layhigh Road, a Ford F250 pickup truck collided with a Ford Windstar van.

Investigators said the driver of the pickup, Jerry Lewis, of Hamilton, apparently failed to yield to the van. The impact sent the van into a telephone pole. It flipped onto its side and the base of the pole impaled the van's rear passenger-side window.

April Tedore, 20, a back-seat passenger in the van, was flown via helicopter to University Hospital in serious condition, officials said.

Both incidents remain under investigation.

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E-mail mmccain@enquirer.com