Valley Center boy, 15, hospitalized after rollover crash

A Valley Center teen remained hospitalized Wednesday with a ruptured bladder, broken bones, scratches and bruises sustained in a rollover crash Tuesday night south of Whitewater, Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet said.

The 15-year-old boy was driving a 1998 Isuzu Amigo westbound down Northwest 60th, a gravel county road, when he lost control and veered into a corn stubble field about 9:30 p.m. The teen “rolled the vehicle twice and after the roll, he ended up in a tree row” where he was pinned in the SUV, Herzet said Wednesday.

Whitewater rescue and fire crews freed the teen, and he was flown in critical condition to Via Christi Hospital St. Francis in Wichita, Herzet said. Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics also were at the scene.

The boy also had fractures in his collarbone and left forearm, Herzet said. He said the SUV’s speed contributed to the crash.

No traffic citations had been issued as of Wednesday, Herzet said. The teen is licensed, he said.

This story was originally published December 3, 2014 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Valley Center boy, 15, hospitalized after rollover crash."