(8-17-23) Five people were hospitalized after an Ohio woman, Brianna F. Mason (22) Sidney, lost control of the vehicle she was driving on Indiana 26, causing them to drive off the road about 2:20 a.m. Monday.

Mason was driving a 2016 Hyundai Veloster east on the highway near the intersection with Indiana 67. Mason was driving too fast and drove off Indiana 26 —the road curves south near the intersection — and the vehicle rolled off the east side of the road, entering a ditch and a cemetery. The vehicle continued onto Indiana 67, rolling across the highway and into a ditch on the south side of the road.

Four passengers — Mercedes A. Ryan (23) of Anderson, Taylor L. Lemaster (20) of Berne, Araia L.
Mullins (22) of Chesterfield and Steven Butts (21) of Sidney were ejected from the vehicle. Mason
was trapped inside the car.

Lemaster and Ryan were found unconscious, with Lemaster being airlifted to Lutheran Hospital in Fort
Wayne for a head injury and Ryan flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio for entire body
injuries. Butts and Mullins were both transported to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie for a head
injury and complaint of neck pain, respectively.

Mason sustained injuries all over her body and was taken to IU Health Jay. She had a 0.086% blood alcohol content level on a portable breath test. She was cited with a felony for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Damage is estimated between $10,000 and $25,000. The vehicle was towed.