Three injured in Tuesday morning crash

COLUMBIA — Three people were injured in a two-car crash Tuesday morning on Nifong Boulevard, Columbia police said.

The crash occurred just before 6:30 a.m., when a van driven by Michelle Sterrett, 52, of Columbia, traveling westbound on Nifong Boulevard failed to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn onto Buttonwood Drive and collided with an eastbound car driven by Lora Basinger, 33, of Ashland, according to a police news release.

Westbound traffic had a green light at the time of the accident, but vehicles turning left are required to yield to eastbound traffic, police said.

Emergency personnel transported Sterrett and a 14-year-old passenger from the car to the hospital, according to the release. Basinger had minor injuries that did not require treatment. A 5-year-old child, also in the car, was not injured.

All of the passengers were wearing seat belts, and summonses for failure to yield and colliding with a vehicle are pending against Sterrett, according to the release.

Both vehicles were badly damaged and had to be towed from the scene.