A senior at Heritage High School died after the van he was driving hit a utility pole early Monday evening in southeast Allen County. A passenger, also a teen, suffered serious injuries in the crash.
On Tuesday, the Allen County Coroner identified the teen who died as 17-year-old Aiden Mart, who was a member of the wrestling and track teams at Heritage.
Just before 6:13 p.m., emergency responders were called to the crash on Houk Road, north of Monroeville Road, according to the Allen County Sheriff’s Department.
The preliminary investigation determined that the van was traveling northbound on Houk Road when it left the roadway, hit a utility pole, and rolled into a ditch. The crash happened one mile north of Heritage Junior/Senior High School.
Mart was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner determined his death was caused by multiple blunt impact injuries, and his death was ruled an accident.
The passenger, also a male teen and yet to be identified, was flown to an area hospital in critical condition.
The crash took down power lines, which made rescue efforts more difficult.
