NEWPORT — A two-vehicle accident last week involving six Newport Central Catholic High School students illustrates a difference in traffic laws in Kentucky and Ohio.

        As a result, three of them, all injured in the wreck, will not be charged for riding in the back of a pickup truck at the time of the accident, even though Kentucky law restricts the practice.

        The three — Julie Bailey, 16, of Fort Thomas; Christina Manning, 16, of Newport; and Kevin Thelen, 16, of Bellevue — were riding in the bed of a pickup driven by NewCath student Nathan J. Fey, 16, of Newport.

        Newport Police Lt. Phil Liles said Monday that Mr. Fey will be charged with failure to yield the right of way — the only citation against anyone.

        Sgt. Wade Farley of the Kentucky State Police post in Dry Ridge said it's generally illegal for anyone to ride in the back of a pickup truck unless seats and seat belts are installed.

        “Farm vehicles have an exception,” Sgt. Farley said. So, farm workers riding out to field work can legally ride in the truck bed.

        Lt. Liles said that because the three teens in the truck bed were not charged with anything else, they won't be charged with riding in the back of the pickup because that is a secondary offense.

        But if the accident had happened in Ohio, the three in the pickup bed could still be in legal trouble because of their ages.

        “If it's uncovered, nobody under the age of 16 can be back there unless there's an approved seat belt,” said

        Trooper Marc Glover of the Ohio Highway Patrol post in Batavia Township in Clermont County. “And there are very few of those.”

        And unlike in Kentucky, it is considered a moving violation, which means an alleged offender need not be charged with something else first.

        Trooper Glover also said people of any age can ride in a covered pickup in Ohio, though he said the truck cap makes no difference in a wreck. Kentucky law makes no such distinction.

        Both states require seat belts for each passenger inside a vehicle.

        The two-vehicle wreck involving a Camaro driven by Robert K. Thomas, 19, of Newport, occurred around noon Thursday at the intersection of Monmouth Street and New Linden Road.

        The southbound pickup was attempting to make a left turn onto New Linden when it was struck by Mr. Thomas' northbound car. Two other NewCath students, Elizabeth Brown, 16, of Southgate, and Bret Fields, 16, of Newport, were passengers in the pickup.

        NewCath Principal Bob Noll said Monday that all six students are out of the hospital.

        “Everybody will be in school by Wednesday,” Mr. Noll said.

        Monday was NewCath's first day of school since the accident. Mr. Noll said teachers faced a dilemma when talking to students: how to be compassionate because of what happened while telling them riding in the back of the truck was an incredibly stupid gamble.

        Mr. Noll said he wanted his students to know things could have turned out much worse.

        “You want kids to be aware that as a community we were very, very lucky,” Mr. Noll said. “You can't live your life in a bubble, but you can't take unnecessary risks.”

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