Sparta HS students involved in serious auto collision
SPARTA — A group of Sparta High School students escaped serious injury following a serious six-car motor vehicle accident late Monday afternoon, police said.
Around 2:26 p.m., multiple motorists called police to report the crash near the intersection of Station Road and Rt. 517, according to the Sparta Police Department.
An initial investigation revealed that a 17-year-old woman was operating a 1999 red Volvo Convertible with two juvenile passengers south on Rt. 517 at an unsafe speed, when she struck a 2013 brown Hyundai Elantra from behind, according to police.
The Elantra was being operated by a 17-year-old male who had another 17-year-old male in the front seat passenger.
The impact of this collision pushed the Elantra across the double yellow lines into northbound traffic where it collided into the rear wheel carriage of a full size Tractor Trailer operated by 62-year-old William Fischer, of Vernon.
Other than the Tractor Trailer driver, all other operators and passengers are Sparta High School students. Their names are not being released because they are juveniles.
The Elantra spun counter-clockwise causing it to come to a rest facing North West in the painted median.
Both men in the Elantra were injured and were transported by the Sparta First Aid Squad to the Newton Medical Center where they were treated for leg lacerations, back and neck pain, according to police.
They were both released from the hospital.
The Volvo also struck a 2001 Honda Odyssey being operated by a 17-year-old male, pushing the Odyssey off the roadway and into a guide rail. The Volco then struck a third vehicle from behind, a 2005 Kia Spector, pushing into the rear of a 2002 Volkswagon Beetle.
The operator of the Kia was also injured in the crash and was transported by her family to a private physician for treatment of contusions, back and neck pain, according to the Sparta Police Department.
The Volvo then came to a rest facing south in the painted median.
The operator of the Volvo was charged with careless driving and violation of her provisional driver’s license by having too many people in her vehicle.
The Volvo, Elantra and the Honda sustained extensive damage and had to be towed from the scene. The Tractor Trailer, Kia and Volkswagon were driven from the scene.
The accident snarled traffic for almost two hours.