Four teenage girls on their way to Tri-Center High School in Neola were involved in a fatal crash this morning. The Iowa State Patrol says one of the teens was killed and three others injured when the car they were in crashed just north of Interstate 80 in Harrison County.
The accident happened around 8 a.m. on Highway 191. Authorities say a car driven by 15-year old Samantha Lynn Reid of Honey Creek was headed south on the highway when it left the road, entered a ditch and flipped over. All of the occupants were ejected.
Fourteen-year-old old Katie L. Dyer of Honey Creek died in the accident. Reid and two other passengers, 16-year old Cari L. Wilson and Chelsea Jean Birtwell, both of Persia, were injured.
All four were taken to hospitals in Omaha where Dyer was pronounced dead and Chelsea Birtwell was listed in critical condition. Two of the girls were wearing their seatbelts, including Dyer. The other two were not. The accident remains under investigation.
By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic