Three area teenagers were hospitalized after a traffic crash in Johnson County on Saturday.
A report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the crash occurred as 18-year-old Hogan Zecharias, of Whiteman Air Force Base, reportedly failed to negotiate a curve in his westbound vehicle, which traveled off the left side of the roadway and struck a tree.
Zecharias reportedly was flown by Staff For Life helicopter to St. Luke’s Hospital on the Plaza for treatment of serious injuries. Passengers- 18-year-old Paul Averbeck and 17-year-old Brandon Jaco, both of Knob Noster- were transported by Johnson County ambulances to Centerpoint Hospital in Independence for treatment.
The crash happened at 11:40 p.m. on Northeast 700th Road, seven-tenths of a mile west of Missouri Highway 23.