Excessive speed is being blamed for a wreck that sent five Jessamine County teenagers to Lexington hospitals Tuesday, according to the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office. The crash occurred around noon on Chrisman Mill Road.

Chief Deputy Allen Peel said the 17-year-old Jessica Bowman lost control of her 1994 Chevrolet Lumina on top of a hill and overcorrected.

“Several witnesses advised that they passed them and it looked like that they were traveling pretty fast,” Peel said. “They dropped off the roadway and lost control when they overcorrected and went across the road and down the ditch and hit a fence and tree. It took out that fence and clipped that tree and took out some more of that fence there.”

Riding with Bowman were Angelica Miller, 16, Sean Evermore, 17, Jacob Laird, 16 and Brett Thomas, 17. All of the teens are students at East Jessamine High School.

Peel said at least four of the teens were thrown from the vehicle.

Jessamine County Fire Chief Mike Rupard said from what he could tell seat belts were used, but based on the extent of the damage and the force of which the car rolled, the teens were thrown clear of the vehicle.

“All five of them were out when I got there,” Rupard said. “Some had them (seat belts) on and some didn’t. The driver had hers on, but it still threw her out. With that much damage, I’d say it flopped them around in there pretty good.”

Non of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, Peel said.

“We don’t expect any, either, and that’s a good thing,” he said. “(They) were very fortunate.”

Rupard said the fact the teens were from EJHS made his job all the more difficult.

“But my biggest concern and worry as a parent was making sure my son was there,” he said. “Not only that, but helping those kids. Unfortunately, by my son going to East, I knew the first kid I came up to very well; I know his parents very well. As a matter of fact, his dad is on the fire department.”

The wreck closed Chrisman Mill Road in both directions for two hours.

“We opened it back up at 2 o’clock,” Peel said.

The accident caused the car’s right rear tire to be thrown more than 100 yards from the Lumina’s final resting place, which was on top of a fire hydrant off the northbound lane shoulder.

The car flipped before coming to a stop.

The crash is being investigated by JSO deputies Drew Parsons and Todd Sponcil.