MT. VERNON (WMIX) – A fire erupted during a one-vehicle crash south of Mt. Vernon just after 3:30 Friday morning.

Jefferson County emergency authorities say three Mt. Vernon residents sustained minor injuries after the vehicle they were in, driven by 21-year-old Lansdale Hunter, swerved off of Route 148 just south of the Veterans Memorial Drive to avoid hitting a deer and lost control before striking a tree.

Hunter and the two passengers, 25-year-old Jaymela Hunter and 33-year-old Nikko Branch, all got out of the vehicle before it caught fire. Jefferson Fire Protection would eventually extinguish the vehicle fire.

All three occupants were taken to area hospitals for treatment.