A Houston teenager was seriously injured Monday morning in a crash south of Licking.
Tpr. Jason Sentman of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said a northbound 2004 Pontiac G6 driven by Kyra A. Burris, 17, of Houston, ran off the right side of the roadway and attempted to avoid impact with a guardrail. The vehicle started sliding, crossed the center of the roadway and ran off the left side of the roadway before hitting a guardrail, becoming airborne and overturning. Sentman said the vehicle came to rest in a creek about one mile south of Licking at about 5:46 a.m.
A passerby witnessed a female covered in blood along the highway and notified authorities, who were concerned someone else might have been in the vehicle. Burris was the sole occupant.
Burris, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken by ambulance to Texas County Memorial Hospital and transported by air later to Cox South in Springfield. A relative reported she has multiple broken bones.
The vehicle was totaled.
Assisting were the Licking Police Department and Licking Fire Department.