A 12-year-old boy was seriously injured and four others were hospitalized after a head-on car crash yesterday on Route 286 in Indiana County.

The boy, a passenger in one of the cars, was taken by helicopter to Children's Hospital, state police said.

Police said a Pontiac driven by Daniel J. Hancock, 28, of Clarksburg, was traveling east about 1:30 p.m., 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. The crash occurred near Gemmell Road in Young Township.

The 12-year-old was in the back seat of Mr. Stango's car.

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 with non-life-threatening injuries.