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Death of FHS student in crash stuns classmates

Joshua Crain, 18, was killed in a car accident.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy

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Crash claims Fairfield High School junior

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A 16-year-old female driving a black pickup truck northbound on Gilmore Road somehow entered the southbound lanes, striking a Ryder rental truck head on around 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, in front of Cincinnati Financial Corp. The 16-year-old’s passenger, her 18-year-old boyfriend, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Butler County Coroner’s Office.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy A 16-year-old female driving a black pickup truck northbound on Gilmore Road somehow entered the southbound lanes, striking a Ryder rental truck head on around 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, in front of Cincinnati Financial Corp. The 16-year-old’s passenger, her 18-year-old boyfriend, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Butler County Coroner’s Office.

Fairfield junior who died in Wednesday accident mourned by fellow students; teen driver in critical condition.

By Lindsey Hilty  and Michael D. Pitman, Staff Writers Updated 12:36 AM Friday, December 4, 2009

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield High School students mourned the loss of a fellow student Thursday, Dec. 3, while still worrying about serious injuries to another.

Grief counselors were at the high school after students learned junior Joshua Crain, 18, of Fairfield Twp. died in a crash Wednesday afternoon. His 16-year-old girlfriend, Taylor Rhodus, a junior who attends Green Tree Health Science Academy through Butler Tech, is in critical condition at University Hospital in Cincinnati, according to a statement released by her family through the hospital.

Rhodus was driving a pickup truck north on South Gilmore Road around 3 p.m. Wednesday when she entered the southbound lanes in front of Cincinnati Financial Corp., striking a Ryder rental truck head-on, Fairfield police said.

Police, who received 11 calls to 911, said a male passerby pulled Crain out of the truck and performed CPR on him. Crain was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rhodus suffered two broken legs and was in surgery Wednesday and likely will require more surgeries, said her great-uncle, Fairfield Councilman Mitch Rhodus.

John Yocum, 47, a UPS employee, was driving the truck rented by UPS. He was treated and released Wednesday at Bethesda North Hospital with injuries to his hands.

Fairfield City Schools spokesman Randy Oppenheimer said high school staff were notified about Crain’s death by e-mail Wednesday evening. Students said text messages and rumors circulated quickly.

Senior Brandon Spelman, 17, said Crain was a close friend, and at first he didn’t believe the news. “Whenever I would see him, he always had the biggest smile on his face,” Spelman said.

Spelman said Crain was a creative artist who had a gift for listening and supporting friends. “He went to church and he loved playing Lazer Web,” he said.

Crain also was in drama instructor Jay Muldoon’s theater experience class.

“He is thoughtful,” Muldoon said. “He is quiet, but when asked a question, he always has a great answer and great response. I think he is also appreciated by his peers. I think the students are finding it very difficult to process it.

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