A female child had to be flown from the scene of a two-vehicle traffic crash in Pettis County on Tuesday, March 8.

A report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the crash occurred as 34-year-old Vita Olefirenko, of Sedalia, was operating her eastbound vehicle on the roadway without headlights on in low-light conditions. A northbound vehicle, driven by 34-year-old Cameron Venters, of Sedalia, attempted to cross the roadway in front of Olefirenko’s vehicle, and due to Venters not seeing Olefirenko’s vehicle, Olefirenko’s vehicle struck Venters’ vehicle in the driver’s side.

While Venters was not injured, a 12-year-old girl in Olefirenko’s vehicle was transported by air ambulance to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City for treatment of serious injuries. Also, Olefirenko and a 2-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl in Olefirenko’s vehicle were transported by Pettis County ambulances to Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg and Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City for treatment of moderate injuries. The three children, all of Sedalia, were not wearing a seat belt nor in a safety device.

The crash happened at 6:33 p.m. on U.S. Highway 50, one-half mile west of Main Street.