Three injured in head-on crash on rural southeast Nebraska highway

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Three people were injured Thursday afternoon in a crash on a rural Gage County highway.

The crash happened around 12:50 p.m. near Highway 77 and West Oak Road, just south of Beatrice.

A Ford Focus was heading north when the driver veered into the southbound lane and hit a Chevy Malibu, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said the driver of the Ford was distracted by his cell phone, causing him to crash.

Rescue crews used the Jaws of Life to get both drivers out of their vehicles.  A passenger in the Chevy was also extricated.

The driver of the Ford was flown to a Lincoln hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The driver and passenger in the Chevy were taken to a Beatrice hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.