19-year-old woman killed, 2 teens injured in head-on crash in NW Indiana

CROWN POINT, Ind. - A 19-year-old woman was killed and two teenage girls were injured in a head-on crash in northwest Indiana on Tuesday.

Officers and paramedics responded to a crash just before 4:36 p.m. in the 7000 block of East 117th Avenue in Crown Point, according to the Lake County sheriff's office.

According to a preliminary investigation, a 44-year-old woman was eastbound in a Subaru SUV and tailgating a Jeep when it crossed the center line in an attempt to pass the Jeep, the sheriff's office said. As the Subaru crossed into oncoming traffic, it struck a Kia sedan driven by a 19-year-old woman head-on.

The younger woman, identified as Grace Norris of Demotte, Ind., was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff's office said.

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Two 13-year-old girls from Lowell, Ind., who were riding in the Kia, were also injured. One girl was flown to a Chicago hospital, while the other was transported by ambulance. The sheriff's office said one of the girls was identified as Norris' sister.

The condition of the 44-year-old woman, from Crown Point, was not immediately known.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in this incident. It emphasizes the importance of using extra caution when operating vehicles on any roadway; but especially on rural roads," said Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. in a statement.

The Lake County sheriff's office is still investigating other factors that may have cause the crash.