GREENE – Two people were seriously injured late yesterday morning when their vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. Both passenger and driver were ejected.

Jesse Ehlers, 24, of Greene, was driving a 2004 Jeep Wrangler southbound on county Road 2 in the Town of Smithville when – heading into a curve near its juncture with Ott Road – the vehicle left the roadway, striking an embankment and a tree. The force of the impact caused both Ehlers and his passenger, Makayla M. Heisler, 19, of Greene, to be ejected from the vehicle. Neither driver nor passenger were wearing seatbelts, according to authorities.

One of the individuals was thrown a great distance, say reports, and both received serious head and back injuries. Responders first received the call at approximately 11:51 a.m. and the Greene Fire Department and emergency squad arrived on scene shortly thereafter. Two helicopters and Smithville emergency crews were put on standby.