Staff reports

VAN BUREN TWP. — Three teens were issued summons to appear in court after they were involved in a crash on Blue Creek Road on Dec. 20.

The crash occurred just before 11 p.m. in the 6700 block of Blue Creek Road, according to a press release from the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.

Police said that Samuel Blacklidge, 18, of Nashville, was driving southbound “at a high rate of speed” and struck a tree head-on. Blacklidge told police he was driving “way too fast” and lost control on the gravel.

Blacklidge had two underage passengers in the 2006 Dodge Ram 1500.

All three teens admitted to police that they had been drinking prior to the crash, according to the probable cause affidavit by Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Stargell.

On Jan. 5, Blacklidge was charged with illegal consumption of an alcoholic beverage, a Class C misdemeanor; and operating a vehicle with at least 0.02 ACE but less than 0.08 ACE, a Class C infraction.

Blacklidge was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for a broken left arm; a 16-year-old passenger was taken to CRH for facial injuries.

The news release states that no one in the truck was wearing seat belts. The truck was towed.