Teens survive wreck

About a minute after they loaded a 16-year-old Gaffney boy into the Regional One medical helicopter, emergency workers had to take him back out after they determined he was too big for the patient compartment. Two young men survived a scary wreck early Monday morning on Corinth Road during which one of them was ejected from their vehicle.

The Regional One air ambulance landed at Corinth Elementary School to take one of the boys for treatment, but plans to shuttle the boy by air were scuttled when emergency workers determined the 16-year-old was too big for the helicopter's patient compartment.

He stood about 6-feet, 4- inches tall, according to Corinth Fire Chief Nick Scates.

A spokesman for Spartanburg Regional Medical Center did not immediately respond to questions Tuesday about the capacity of the Regional One helicopter.

According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the 16- year-old driver and a 15-yearold passenger were headed north on Corinth Road in a 1990 Chevrolet pickup when the truck ran off the right side of the road. Lance Cpl. Jeff Gaskin, who could not release the driver's name because of his status as a juvenile, said the driver overcorrected and then went off the left side of the roadway, where the truck struck a tree.

The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the truck. He ultimately was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center by ambulance.

The passenger in the truck was taken to Upstate Carolina Medical Center.