Three injured in Merced crash

Three people suffered minor injuries Wednesday when the vehicle in which they were riding crashed into a large rock and a pole before flipping over, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The identities of the victims were not immediately available.

The CHP said the vehicle, a white Ford passenger van, was heading west on Belcher Avenue, just east of Beachwood Drive, when it struck a large rock on the side of the road, continued off the roadway and crashed into a pole before overturning in an orchard.

The vehicle landed on its roof and all three people were trapped inside. The female driver and a female passenger were flown to area hospitals, and a male passenger was driven to another medical facility, according to the CHP.

Injuries to all three victims were initially reported by the CHP as major, but were later downgraded to minor.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation, but neither drugs nor alcohol were suspected to have been involved, the CHP said.

This story was originally published April 29, 2015 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Three injured in Merced crash."