Teens thrown from the bed of truck after rollover crash in rural Custer County

CUSTER COUNTY — Six teenagers were taken to a local hospital by ground and air ambulance over the weekend due to a single-vehicle rollover crash.

The crash happened on Saturday around 1:50 p.m. near the Yankee Fork approximately seven miles above Sunbeam Village, according to Custer County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Gregory Pitts.

“It was back on dirt roads and the roads were wet and there was a sharp corner involved,” Pitts said.

The Chevy Avalanche pickup truck was coming down the road, went to take a turn and lost control.

“The driver tried to correct, overcorrected and initiated a rollover,” Pitts said.

There was a 15-year-old, four 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old involved in the crash, he said.

“Four of them were in the bed of the truck and were ejected from the vehicle. We had three life flights come in for three of the passengers. Three of them were taken by ground to St. Luke’s Wood River (Medical Center),” Pitts told EastIdahoNews.com.

The two teens that were inside the cab were wearing seatbelts.

“The three that were life-flighted were in pretty serious condition — two males and one female that were life-flighted. One male was unconscious but breathing at the time of first responder arrivals and then one kid was unable to move but was conscious and breathing and then the female, she was conscious, breathing and alert the entire time,” he explained.

Pitts said as of Sunday, all six teens are expected to make a full recovery.

He added at least ten bystanders at the crash were helping out before emergency personnel arrived on the scene.

“I truly believe that based on the immense public response that we had to this accident, that is what potentially saved these kids’ lives,” he said.