Five Independence residents suffered serious injuries in a rollover traffic crash in Saline County on Saturday.
According to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred as a possible defect caused an eastbound vehicle, driven by 18-year-old Kristen Moore, to skid and travel off the right side of the roadway. The vehicle overturned multiple times, and four of the vehicle’s occupants were ejected.
Moore was transported by Sweet Springs E.M.S. to Centerpoint Hospital in Independence; and passengers– 17-year-old Celia Rodriguez-Arredondo and 19-year-old Seth Steele were flown by Life Flight and Air Evac helicopters to Centerpoint and Research Medical Center in Kansas City, respectively; 17-year-old Livia Halla was transported by Saline County E.M.S. to Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall; and 20-year-old Tobias Seek was transported by Saline County E.M.S. to University Hospital in Columbia for treatment.
The report says nobody in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt.
The crash happened just before 12:15 a.m. at the 68 mile marker on I-70.