STEUBEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) — A teenager is dead and three other teens are in critical condition following a crash involving a semitruck in Steuben County Wednesday.

According to the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the crash happened at the intersection of State Road 327 and County Road W. 250 S. just northeast of Big Turkey Lake around 4:30 Wednesday afternoon.

In a release from the county sheriff’s office, authorities say an SUV carrying four teenagers – 18-year-old Lucas Corber, 18-year-old Hayden Pelletier, 16-year-old Evander Pelletier, and 16-year old Nitika Smith – failed to yield the right away at the intersection and drove into the path of an oncoming semi.

Photo of semi involved in fatal crash in Steuben County
A semi hit an SUV that ran a stop sign in Steuben County on March 29, 2023.

The collision pushed the SUV off the road and into a field, trapping the teens in the vehicle. All four had to be extricated from the SUV. Hayden and Evander Pelletier and Corber were airlifted to a Fort Wayne hospital in critical condition. According to the sheriff’s office, Nikita Smith died at the scene.

The driver of the semi, 56-year-old Kim Whipple, wasn’t hurt.

Police initially noted there was no indication that seatbelts were in use in the SUV, but the SCSO later confirmed that three of the four passengers in the SUV, including the fatal victim, were wearing a seatbelt during the crash.

Authorities also noted that the weather was clear and the road was dry at the time of the crash.

The crash is still under investigation by the SCSO with the assistance of the Angola Police Department.