One teen killed, 3 others injured after car crash in northwest Iowa

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Iowa -- Authorities say one teen was killed and three others were injured after a car crash in northwest Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash occurred shortly after 2:30 a.m. Saturday near C-66 and J Avenue, when a 2004 Grand Prix GT2 heading westbound on C-66 left the road after the vehicle lost control for an unknown reason. Authorities say the car entered the north ditch, where it rolled over and struck a utility pole. The vehicle came to rest facing southeast and caught fire, the ISP reports. The report states the driver's side rear passenger, a 15-year-old male from Cushing, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other back seat passenger, a 16-year-old from Cherokee, was ejected from the vehicle and taken to the hospital by air ambulance with serious injuries, according to the ISP. Authorities say the driver, a 16-year-old male from Cherokee, and the front passenger, a 14-year-old male from Washta, were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries and later released. Saturday afternoon, the River Valley Community School District posted to their Facebook saying, "Friday night, a tragedy hit the River Valley and Cherokee School Districts. A former River Valley student, who recently had enrolled in the Cherokee CSD, did not survive injuries from an automobile accident. We will continue with our normal schedule of classes on Monday. There will be special counseling available by the office for any students and/or teachers who feel they need some support and guidance." In the post, the district says that students and families should feel free to reach out to counselors. They can be reached at [email protected] (MS/HS), [email protected] (Elementary).