Five teens hospitalized after Highway 116 crash near Monte Rio

Five teens were transported to the hospital, including one person by helicopter, with a range of minor injuries after two vehicles crashed on Highway 116 near Monte Rio Tuesday night.

The driver of a white Jeep Wrangler headed west on the forested highway along the Russian River collided with a green Honda Accord making a left turn from Austin Creek Road shortly after 6 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. Five teenage girls were inside the Jeep.

Investigators suspect Isaac Ugar, 18, of Santa Rosa, the driver of the Honda, did not yield long enough at a stop sign at the intersection, causing the crash with the Jeep, CHP Officer David deRutte said. Ugar was taken by ambulance to a Santa Rosa hospital. A 19-year-old Sebastopol woman was in the passenger seat of the Honda, but did not need treatment.

One of the four girls riding in the Jeep was airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital before law enforcement could assess the full extent of her injuries, deRutte said. An update of her status was not available Wednesday afternoon.

Four other people were also hospitalized, including three from the Jeep, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman said.

The front end of the Honda was taken off by the Jeep, which ended up in a nearby embankment, Baxman said.