A tow truck driver, left, and an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper clean debris from the area around a GMC Sierra pickup truck following an accident in Key on Saturday afternoon.

KEY — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a serious crash that occurred Saturday afternoon.

Trooper Michael Grant said the collision that happened in the area of 51333 Key-Bellaire Road, Ohio 147, resulted in multiple people needing treatment for injuries. One person was flown out of the local area by medical helicopter due to “severe injuries.”

OR&W Fire District Chief R.C. Fellows said three patients were transported by ambulance to WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital for treatment. One patient was flown to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Fellows noted that one person had to be extricated from a vehicle.

The vehicles involved were a GMC Sierra pickup truck and a Toyota Highlander SUV. Grant said the SUV traveled left of center and evidence on the roadway indicated the driver of the pickup truck attempted to avoid the wreck. The crash occurred at about 2:15 p.m.

“I can fill you in on what we know from the roadway evidence,” Grant said at the scene. “Basically, your white SUV here on the left was almost all four tires left of center at the time of impact. They crested that hill and found themselves on the wrong side of the road …

“There’s marks on the right side of the roadway of an abrupt evasive action from this one,” Grant continued, gesturing toward the truck. “So he obviously saw it coming, and he tried to get off the road. His left front tire was only one foot six inches onto the roadway when he was hit, so he was almost all the way off the road to avoid it.”

In addition to OR&W and the patrol, responders included Neffs Fire and EMS, Spirit of ’76 Volunteer Fire Department and Smith Township VFD.