Five people were hospitalized after a head-on car crash today in Indiana County.

A 12-year-old boy, a passenger in one of the cars whose name was not released, was taken by helicopter to Children's Hospital with major injuries, state police said, after the crash on Route 286 near Gemmell Road in Young about 1:30 p.m.

Police said a Pontiac driven by Daniel J. Hancock, 28, of Clarksburg, was traveling east passing cars in the opposite lane of the highway when his car struck a Ford driven by August Stango, 76, of Kent, who was traveling west.

Mr. Hancock, his front-seat passenger Wendy S. Cogley, 28, of Export, Mr. Stango and his front-seat passenger Josephine Stango, 76, of Kent, were taken to Indiana Hospital to be treated for injuries suffered in the crash. The 12-year-old boy was in the back seat of Mr. Stango's car and his injuries were the most serious of the group, police said.