Five teenagers were hospitalized with minor injuries after a late-night crash Saturday near Kiser Lake in western Champaign County sent a vehicle off the roadway and into a wooded area.
According to the Springfield Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a 17-year-old Urbana girl was driving a Toyota Prius around 11:45 p.m. when she lost control on a sharp curve near the 3600 block of Kiser Lake Road and the intersection with Possum Hollow Road, causing the car to leave the roadway, go airborne, and then strike a tree in a tree line.
Troopers say the vehicle ultimately came to rest about 50 feet down a steep embankment and less than 25 yards from the shoreline of Kiser Lake.
The driver and four passengers—ranging in age from 15 to 18, including two 18-year-olds identified as Aynslee Dale of Mechanicsburg and Austin Hale of New Carlisle—were able to get out of the wreckage on their own before being transported by medic units to Mercy Health – Urbana Hospital with minor injuries.
The driver was cited for failure to maintain reasonable control of a motor vehicle.
Troopers said there were no indications alcohol or drugs were involved, and the crash remains under investigation.
The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office and JSP Joint Fire District also assisted at the scene.
All photo credit goes to Tony Heitmeyer.
