KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — A two-vehicle crash in Kill Devil Hills caused a Jeep Wrangler to flip six times Tuesday evening, leaving three teenagers hurt. One of them had critical injuries.
Police said the crash happened shortly before 6:30 p.m., when a 2003 Volvo SUV on East Palmetto Street made a left turn onto US 158 (North Croatan Highway) without coming to a full stop at a stop sign. It hit a 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited that was heading south on US 158.
When they collided, the Jeep flipped. A 16-year-old girl who was in the back seat, not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the Jeep. Her injuries were life-threatening, and she had to be taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
A 17-year-old boy who was driving the Jeep and another 16-year-old girl who was in it were wearing their seat belts. They were hurt, but they refused medical treatment.
The driver of the Volvo, 23-year-old Merlin Garrett Cole of Colington, was not hurt, nor was his passenger.
Investigators said right after the crash, Cole was given an alcohol screening test. It indicated he had alcohol in his system. He was taken to The Outer Banks Hospital for further blood testing.
Police said criminal charges against Cole are pending, but they didn't say which charges he could face.