WHITEWATER TWP., Ohio – An 18-year-old Cincinnati woman was killed when a truck she was riding in hit a utility pole on US 50 Sunday night.
Kaylee E. Merschbach was a front-seat passenger in the truck driven by Tristin W. Stapleton, 20, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
Merschbach graduated from Mother of Mercy High School in 2015, according to the school's Facebook page.
Speeding and drinking are suspected in crash, according to the sheriff's office.
The crash happened at 9:10 p.m. as Stapleton was driving a 2005 Dodge Ram westbound in the 11000 block of US 50, the sheriff's office said. Veronica L. Jacobs, 19, was in the back seat.
Stapleton lost control and the truck went partially off the north side of the roadway. The driver overcorrected and the truck rotated counter-clockwise, crossed the road and hit a pole on the south side. The truck continued out of control into a ditch and went airborne into a wooded area.
Merschbach was ejected. Stapleton and Jacobs were taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center and listed in serious condition. None of the three was wearing a seatbelt.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Traffic Safety Unit is investigating.