FRANKLIN COUNTY – Several people were injured in two unrelated crashes that happened in Franklin County Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

Franklin County Sheriff Kyle Bacon says the first one happened at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of South Stuyvesant Street and Summer Road in rural Benton. It involved two vehicles and numerous injuries were reported.

Deputies immediately responded, located the crash scene, and determined that six individuals had sustained injuries.

Sheriff Bacon says the preliminary investigation revealed that a 2003 Chevy Silverado was traveling east on Summer Road approaching the intersection of South Stuyvesant Street and proceeded through the intersection at Summer Road.

The Silverado failed to stop at the intersection and struck a 2007 Toyota Camry near the driver’s side door of the vehicle.

Five male juveniles were inside the Silverado. Eighteen-year-old Lance A. Jenkins was driving the Camry and was the only person in the vehicle.

As a result of the crash, six people – three by Air Evac and three by ambulance – were taken to area and regional hospitals with significant injuries. The crash investigation continues.

Fire departments from Ewing-Northern, Benton, West City, and West Frankfort along with Abbott-AMR, United Medical Response, Air Evac, and the Benton Police Department assisted the sheriff’s office at the scene.

The sheriff says at 2:10 a.m. Thursday, the sheriff’s office received a report of a single vehicle rollover crash on North Thompsonville Road near Akin Blacktop.

As a result of this crash, the driver, 25-year-old Craigory D. Alderson of Benton, was airlifted to a regional hospital with significant injuries.

The Cave-Eastern Fire Department, Abbott-AMR, and Air Evac assisted. This crash is still under investigation.