5/29/2010



The Saline County Sheriff’s Office released more information Saturday concerning a Friday evening crash that injured three people.

The three were hurt after they were ejected from the small sport utility vehicle, a Chevrolet Geo Tracker, they were in when it rolled on a dirt and gravel road in Saline County.

The wreck happened as the vehicle was headed north on Simpson Road, about a quarter of a mile north of Campbell Road, about 6:30 p.m. Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Smith said it appeared the driver, Chasity Nikkel, 17, New Cambria, lost control when the vehicle hit a soft spot in the road. Nikkel over-corrected and the car rolled, ending up resting on the driver’s side in a field.
Nikkel and a back-seat passenger, Mark Marino, 42, Salina, were taken by ambulance from the scene to Salina Regional Health Center. Another passenger, Kayla Davis, 16, of Salina, had her left leg pinned under the vehicle for about 20 minutes before being freed. She was airlifted from the scene to Salina Regional for treatment, Smith said. He said her injuries, which included severe bruising, did not appear life-threatening.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said Saturday night that Marino had been admitted and was in stable condition. She said condition information on the other two people injured could not be released by the hospital because of their ages.