Rockford teen dies from accident injuries

VW independent news

A Rockford teenager injured in a single-car crash on Wednesday died Saturday afternoon at a Fort Wayne, Indiana, hospital.

Alexis Bickle, 16, who was life-flighted to Lutheran Hospital of Indiana by Lutheran Air medical transport helicopter following an accident that occurred at 3:32 p.m. Wednesday on Greenville Road, just south of Van Wert, died at 3:54 p.m. Saturday, according to the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

According to investigating troopers from the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Bickle was driving a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix east on Greenville Road, when she lost control of her vehicle while driving out of a curve of the road. The car veered off the right side of the road, and Bickle tried to drive back onto the roadway, but overcorrected, sending the car sliding off the left side of the road where the car struck a tree.

Two passengers in the car, Chandler Brown, 15, also of Rockford, and Braden Rice, 15, of Celina, also sustained injury in the accident. Brown was taken by Mercer EMS to Van Wert County Hospital, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries, while Rice was lifeflighted by Samaritan helicopter to Lutheran Hospital, for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

The Patrol was also assisted at the accident scene by the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio City Fire and EMS, Van Wert EMS, and Straightline Towing.

Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation. Troopers said Bickle and Brown were both wearing seatbelts when the crash occurred, while seatbelt use for Rice is unknown.

Troopers remind drivers and passengers to always wear their seatbelts, no matter how short the drive is, and to never drive distracted.

Updated 7:04 p.m. Saturday, October 15, 2016