A West Mifflin couple who were less than an hour from reaching their daughter's cheerleading competition in Columbus, Ohio, died Friday night in a two-vehicle crash, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said yesterday.

Edward Fetcho, 49, an Allegheny County emergency dispatcher for nearly 25 years, and Jane Fetcho, 48, an employee of PNC Bank, Downtown, were traveling east on Route 95 in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, at about 6:45 p.m. when Mr. Fetcho failed to yield for westbound traffic as he turned into a private driveway, troopers said.

Their vehicle was struck on the passenger side by an oncoming car and slid off the road.

Mrs. Fetcho died at the scene, and Mr. Fetcho was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Morrow County Hospital.

A niece, Bonnie Vargo, of Munhall, said the couple often traveled to see their daughter, Ashley, a senior at Virginia Tech University, perform in cheerleading competitions.

"They were just great people," Ms. Vargo said. "They lived for their daughter."

Grief counselors yesterday were sent to the Allegheny County's 911 center in Point Breeze.

Mr. Fetcho became a county police dispatcher in 1984 and a 911 emergency services dispatcher in 1998.

Co-workers were told roads were snowy at the time of the crash, said Bob Full, emergency services department chief for Allegheny County.

"Ed was larger than life," Mr. Full said yesterday. "He's handled thousands of calls from county residents requesting the same types of services that, unfortunately, he required yesterday."