By The Associated Press

CROWN POINT — A 13-year-old girl who was leaning out the window of a car her older sister was driving died when the car left the roadway and she struck a utility pole, northwestern Indiana police said.

Kelly Hume of Crown Point was pronounced dead after Saturday night's single-car accident in the Lake County city, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

Investigators with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Traffic Unit said Hume was leaning out the window of a car driven by her 18-year-old sister when the vehicle left the road on a steep incline. Hume struck a utility pole and was dragged and thrown from the car.

Authorities are investigating if cellphone use may have been a factor in the accident. The circumstances of the fatality, including possible negligence, also remain under investigation, police said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this extremely difficult time," Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said.