CHAMPION - A 17-year-old South-ington girl had inhaled aerosol just before a crash that killed her and injured two of her friends earlier this month, according to reports.

Christie Manchester had a blank stare on her face and clenched the steering wheel just before driving off the road into trees minutes after she, Ellen Becker, 18, of Struthers and Kaylynn Barco, 17, of Southington, purchased the can of compressed air at Wal-Mart to get high, according to witness statements.

While toxicology tests for Manchester are not yet complete, crash reports released by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Tuesday included the details told to them by Barco during interviews after she was released from the hospital four days after the Aug. 3 accident.

The crash occurred just before midnight as the three were heading west on State Road just west of Old Colony Road. Manchester was driving, Becker was in the back seat and Barco in the front passenger seat. The 1994 Pontiac Grand Am went off the right side of the road and hit a tree.

Manchester was pronounced dead at the scene. Barco was taken to the hospital and later released, and Becker remains hospitalized and in intensive care, according to police.

Initially, police said Barco had told them the three had been on their way home from Speedway, 4504 Mahoning Ave. N.W. But during her interview, she said they were headed there, then decided to instead go to Taco Bell on Elm Road.

Barco told police that Manchester instead drove to Wal-Mart in Bazetta to buy cigarettes. Barco told police Becker purchased the cigarettes, a pack of gum and an aerosol can of air duster and that Manchester said they would be able to get high from the inhalants in the can. They are seen on surveillance video purchasing the can, reports said.

According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, inhalants are sniffed, snorted, bagged, or "huffed" (inhalant-soaked rag, sock, or roll of toilet paper in the mouth) to achieve a high.

They can include glue, nail polish remover, cleaning fluids, gasoline, spray paint and cooking spray.

After heavy use, abusers may feel drowsy for several hours and experience a lingering headache. Prolonged use can cause loss of consciousness and death.

The three then went to Speedway, she said. When they left, Manchester asked for the can at the intersection of State Road and North Leavitt Road and inhaled "a few bursts of the air duster" as they drove from the light, reports said. Barco said she grabbed the can because she "did not feel right about Christie getting high while driving."

Manchester told her to take a hit, and Barco said she did before spitting and coughing the substance out. Manchester then grabbed the can and ingested a few more bursts before Barco took the can back, according to reports.

As they were driving, Barco said she and Becker were laughing at Manchester because she appeared to be getting high. At one point, however, she looked at Manchester and saw she had a blank stare on her face. Barco said she put her hand on her shoulder and asked if she was OK, but said Manchester's muscles were tensed. They then went off the road, reports said.

A witness driving behind the girls said there did not appear to be anything in the roadway Manchester would have attempted to swerve around and that they did not appear to be speeding.

"Sometimes it's alcohol, sometimes it's drugs," said Lt. Joseph Dragovich of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. "Probably sometimes it's cell phones. These are all things we look at and consider, and it just so happens they had that can in the vehicle. We did have one passenger we could talk to tell us what happened and that that's the behavior they were engaging in."

Dragovich said the can had a warning label saying it could cause instant death if inhaled.

"And I don't know what's so appealing about that. It's chemical Russian roulette because you just never know," said Dragovich. "This is in every sense of the word (a tragedy)."

Trumbull County Coroner Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk said huffing sensitizes the heart and can predispose one to heart arrhythmias. It can result in anything from a buzz to a rush to an altered state of mind, but the effects are different for everyone. Huffing can result in instant death and brain damage due to a lack of oxygen.

"The bottom line is it is an extremely dangerous practice," Germaniuk said.

Germaniuk said the toxicology test results for Manchester, which were sent out just after the crash, would take six to eight weeks. Dragovich said police also sent a sample for testing and that the tests usually take about three to four weeks.

Dragovich said Becker is still in intensive care and has no feeling from her waist down. Germaniuk previously said Manchester died from a head injury.

The Becker and Manchester families could not be reached for comment Tuesday. After initially wanting to comment, the Barco family did not return phone calls Tuesday evening.

dloreno@tribtoday.com