1-year-old boy in German Twp. crash that killed his mother, 2 others dies

Vehicle found on video footage has been ruled out as being a part of crash, police said.

A 1-year-old boy has died following a Friday crash in German Twp. that killed three other people, including his mother.

Andrew Johnson was pronounced dead on Tuesday, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. The cause and manner of his death has not been determined.

Johnson was the son of Ashley Mance, 26, of Germantown, who was one of three who died Friday following the crash. Also killed in another vehicle were Rebecca Roberts, 61, and her daughter Katie Roberts, 30, of Germantown, the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office reported. A man also was injured in the crash who was in the same vehicle as the Robertses. His injuries are not known.

The investigation continues into the cause of the two-vehicle rollover crash that happened around 4 p.m. Friday in the 8900 block of state Route 4 near Eby Road in German Twp.

A car driven by Mance apparently was headed north on state Route 4 when it went off the right side of the roadway, overcorrected and went across the road and collided with the minivan the Roberts were driving in that was headed south on state Route 4. The vehicles crashed at a T-bone angle, police said.

Following the accident, Andrew and his sister, Averly, 7, were taken from Mance’s vehicle to Dayton Children’s Hospital and were in critical condition. Averly is still recovering at the hospital, according to officials.

Officials are seeking information on a black vehicle that may have played a role in the crash. However, a vehicle that was captured on a Ring doorbell that was widely circulated on social media as possibly a part of the crash was not involved, police said.

“Based on the footage obtained (by a sergeant) as well as the Ring camera footage, it is our belief that at no time was the driver on State Route 4, south of Market Street, nor is there any way his vehicle could have deviated from the route he claimed to take,” the police said in their own social media post. “Based on the additional video evidence (the sergeant) discovered, the vehicle from the Route 4 Ring camera footage is no longer being considered as a suspect vehicle and the driver is no longer a person of interest in this investigation.”

“The German Township Police Department strives to seek out truth through our investigations, with a goal of holding those responsible accountable for their actions, while exonerating the innocent,” the department said.

Police said they are still looking for a black or dark-colored vehicle and are asking for the public’s help.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at clerk@germantownshippolice.org or by calling 937-855-7215. A person can also visit the station at 12102 state Route 725.

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