15-year-old driver seriously injured in crash near Carthage

A 15-year-old juvenile boy from Carthage was injured in a one-vehicle accident on Route E, about 4 miles east of Carthage, late Friday night.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred when the eastbound 2012 Mazda 5 mini-van the boy was driving travelled off the left side of the road, hit a ditch and a fence and then overturned.

The accident happened around 11:05 p.m. Saturday night. The driver was not wearing a safety device.

He was transported by air to Mercy-Springfield for treatment of his injuries which the Highway Patrol accident report described as serious.