Two-vehicle accident sent 7 individuals to a hospital

Leonard, North Dakota – A two-vehicle accident near Leonard on Friday night sent seven individuals to the hospital.

At 9:31 p.m. Friday, an SUV driven by 18-year-old Abraham Cruz of Melrose was southbound on ND Highway 18, 6 miles north of Leonard, with four passengers, while a van driven by 18-year-old Jaylin Parras of Georgetown, MN, was northbound with one passenger.

Cruz was unaware of the fact that traffic had halted in front of him since he was distracted with his GPS. To avoid a rear-end collision, Cruz moved into the NB lane. Parras was driving north when Cruz collided with the van’s front bumper.

Cruz veered into the east ditch of Highway 18 and came to a stop on the passenger side. The crash caused significant damage to both vehicles, and they were both destroyed.

Sanford AirMed flew a juvenile passenger from the vehicle to Sanford Hospital in Fargo. Parras and the other passengers in Cruz’s vehicle were brought to Sanford Hospital in Fargo by ambulance.

The injuries don’t appear to be life-threatening. Cruz was charged with Distracted Driving and Overtaking Where Prohibited.

The NDHP is still investigating the accident.