A Powell woman and a Sheridan man with local ties were seriously injured in a Sunday night crash west of town.

Both Audrey L. Estes, 31, and Luke B. Cozzens, 35, were taken to Billings Clinic for medical treatment following the rollover at the intersection of Road 12 and Lane 8. Estes suffered a serious head injury, prompting first responders to dispatch a medical helicopter from Guardian Flight directly to the scene of the crash; the crew landed on Lane 8 and flew Estes straight to Billings Clinic.

The crash occurred around 10 p.m.

An investigation by the Park County Sheriff’s Office concluded that Cozzens had been traveling south on Road 12 “at a high rate of speed” in a 2017 Nissan sedan.

“Cozzens attempted to turn right (west) onto Lane 8 when the vehicle lost traction, began a clockwise spin, and went sideways as it traveled south across both lanes of Lane 8,” said Lance Mathess, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office. “The vehicle was still traveling south and sideways as it left the roadway, struck a concrete slab, rotated 90 degrees clockwise and overturned, coming to rest on its top in the ditch.”

The Nissan’s front air bags did not deploy, Mathess said, though the side air bags did.

“Neither the driver nor the passenger seat belts were stretched, indicating neither occupant was wearing a seat belt,” he said, adding that it appeared Estes was thrown from the front passenger seat to the vehicle’s back seat.

When a deputy arrived on scene, Cozzens had removed Estes from the vehicle and was holding her in his arms, Mathess said.

“The deputy began speaking to Estes in an effort to keep her conscious,” Mathess said, with units from the Powell Volunteer Fire Department and an ambulance from Powell Valley Hospital arriving shortly after that.

Mathess said Wednesday that he did not know the condition of Cozzens or Estes.