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Teenage girls injured in rollover

By Lori EhdeAn accident near Hardwick Sunday afternoon required officials to first find the emergency scene in order to help the victims.Sixteen-year-old Ashley Hanson used her cell phone to call her parents, Jack and Felicia Hanson in Luverne for help after she rolled her car in the ditch of a gravel road.The accident scene was on 191st Street a half mile east of Highway 75, but she didn’t know her exact location when she called for help.She and her cousin, Tessa Klumper, 17, weren’t wearing their seatbelts and were both injured."It was her confirmation day, and she and Tessa were on their way to visit their grandpa (Bob Mohr) in Hardwick, because he wasn’t able to make it to the party," said Ashley’s mother, Felicia.She said the family scattered from the party in Luverne to search gravel roads for the girls and the wrecked vehicle.Rock County Deputy Evan Verbrugge was the first to reach the scene."He took control of the situation and handled it very professionally," said Felicia, who arrived at the scene moments later.It took assistance from the Hardwick Fire and Rescue Squad and their Jaws of Life to pry open the doors and free the girls without exacerbating their injuries."He told them not to rock the car, because we didn’t know what their injuries were," Felicia said.She said it was stressful as a parent to stand by and watch and wait.Tessa was airlifted to Sioux Falls, where she spent Sunday night in the Intensive Care Unit with a broken neck, cracked vertebrae in her back and bruised liver and kidney.She was expected to be released Wednesday.Ashley’s injuries included a fracture in her neck as well as scrapes and bruises. She was treated and released Sunday.Both girls will be in neck braces for a few weeks."They’re very fortunate," Felicia said.According to the accident report at the Rock County Sheriff’s Department, Ashley lost control of the her 1995 Chevy Lumina on loose gravel at about 3:30 p.m. They were headed east on 191st and the car flipped over when it entered the ditch. The vehicle was totaled."I hope everybody learns, you’ve got to drive slow on gravel and buckle up," Felicia said. "I’ve been wearing my seatbelt more, too, now."She said both girls are expected to make full recoveries."They’re doing good. Hopefully they’ll be back in school soon," she said.I-90 rolloverAnother rollover accident this week caused minor personal injuries on Interstate 90 Monday.According to information from the Minnesota State Patrol, 62-year-old Fern Juby lost control of her 2003 Ford automobile while heading west on I-90. The accident was reported at about noon Monday.Juby, from Canada, was wearing her seatbelt and reportedly suffered only minor injuries in the crash.Her passenger, 73-year-old Ellen Breen, also from Canada, was also wearing her seatbelt but was airlifted from the scene and held in Sioux Falls for a short time for observation.She had no broken bones or severe internal injuries.It’s unknown what caused the accident, but alcohol was reportedly not a factor in the crash.The vehicle was totaled and was towed to G&S Auto in Luverne.

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