Charges lodged against driver in crash that killed Liverpool High School senior

Troopers say Chelsea Kuss, 17, was passing several vehicles when she lost control and crashed into van head-on.

Mike Greenlar / The Post-StandardNew York State Police investigate the two-car crash on Route 31 near Lucas Road on May 24 that killed Victoria Deverso.

Oneida, NY -- Chelsea Kuss, the 17-year-old driver at the wheel in a crash that killed her friend and severely injured a Bridgeport woman in May, is facing charges in the crash, the state police announced this morning.

Troopers will hold a news conference at 1:30 p.m. at the Troop D headquarters in Oneida to announce the charges.

The crash occurred about 2:50 p.m. May 24 on Route 31 in the town of Sullivan. Troopers determined Kuss was driving Victoria Deverso's SUV back from Sylvan Beach, where the two girls spent part of the day after skipping classes at Liverpool High School. Deverso died in the crash.

Chelsea Kuss.

The SUV the teens were in sped past several vehicles on Route 31, troopers said.

Kuss was trying to get back into the westbound lane when she lost control of the SUV and slammed into a 2007 Dodge Caravan driven by Peggy Blume, 38, at about 2:50 p.m.

Blume suffered two broken legs, two broken arms and head injuries, police said. Kuss also was badly injured in the crash.

Previous coverage: Liverpool student killed in crash had skipped school to go to Sylvan Beach