Police in Council Bluffs reported late Wednesday night that two people were seriously injured during a crash earlier that evening on the South Expressway. Bluffs Police Sgt. Darren Budd says just before 7-p.m., a 1998 Ford Mustang driven by MacKenzie Jones, of Council Bluffs, was traveling southbound and was preparing to turn left onto 35th Avenue. A 2007 Chevy Tahoe driven by 33-year old Lynsi Perkins, of Council Bluffs, was traveling northbound on the South Expressway.

Several witnesses and Perkins said both drivers had a green light. There is a protected left turn arrow for southbound traffic, but the arrow was not active according to witnesses. The SUV hit the passenger side of the Mustang with such force, that two passengers in the vehicle, 16-year old Ellen Campbell and 13-year old Jane Campbell, both of Treynor, suffered serious injuries, with Ellen Campbell’s injuries deemed to be critical.

Both teens required extrication by the Council Bluffs Fire Department. They were transported to the UNMC for treatment. Mackenzie Jones was uninjured. Lynsi Perkins suffered minor injuries during the crash, and her minor passengers were not believed to be injured.

Officials say there appears to have been NO indications speed or impairment contributed to the crash. Jones, however, was cited for Improper Turning Movements. The Council Bluffs Police Traffic Unit will be conducting a follow up investigation into the crash.