By Kari Lucin, staff writer

A 1990 Ford Bronco with two girls and one woman inside crashed at a rural intersection northwest of Albert Lea at 2:43 p.m. Tuesday.

The passengers and their badly damaged sport-utility vehicle were at the intersection of 245th Street and County Road 20.

Two of them were thrown from the car during the crash. All three were transported to a hospital, two in the Albert Lea ambulance and the third in the Freeborn ambulance.

A Freeborn County Sheriff&8217;s Office news release said the Bronco was heading south County Road 20 when it slipped off the roadway into a ditch, struck a crossroad &8212; 245th Street &8212; and vaulted into a cornfield. The vehicle struck the ground once and vaulted again before coming to rest on its own wheels, said the news release.

All three had visible cuts and abrasions.

The Bronco cleared a path into the cornfield about 20 yards in. The automobile and the rescuers were barely visible among the tall corn plants. Part of the roof of the Bronco was removed to help extricate passengers. Passers-by, including a Waste Management truck driver, helped direct traffic on County Road 20.

Further details, including names and conditions, were unavailable as of press time. The deputy at the scene was not available for questions this morning.

The Sheriff&8217;s Office is investigating the wreck.