A La Center man and an Ariel teen were both severely injured yesterday after a collision on Lewis River Road along Lake Merwin.

The Washington State Patrol reported that a 2015 BMW SUV driven by 76-year-old John Jessup was traveling northbound at milepost 33 around 6:35 p.m. A 2004 Dodge Dakota driven by a 17-year-old boy from Ariel was going southbound when Jessup’s SUV crossed the center line for an unknown reason and struck her head-on. Both vehicles came to rest blocking both lanes of the roadway.

A Life Flight helicopter had to be called in for both drivers; they were taken by helicopter to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver. Both of them had been wearing a seatbelt; currently, it is not known if drugs or alcohol were involved.

Jessup has been charged with vehicular assault; the cause of the crash remains under investigation.