Niles Charter Township firefighters work to free a Niles woman trapped in a van after a two-vehicle accident Thursday afternoon at the intersection of Fulkerson and South 11th Street in Niles Township. Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT

A Niles woman is in critical condition after her van carrying three young children was hit by a commercial truck Thursday afternoon in Niles Township.

Berrien County Sheriff’s Deputy Thad Chartrand said the van was carrying a family of four from Niles. All were taken by ambulance to South Bend Memorial Hospital.

Chartrand said the female driver sustained critical injuries. A female passenger of around 12 years old also sustained minor injuries. She was placed on a backboard as a precautionary measure. Chartrand described the other passengers — two small children — as “walking wounded.”

The accident happened at the intersection of Fulkerson Road and South 11th Street at around 3:45 p.m. The van carrying the Niles family was stopped at the stop light at Fulkerson and South 11th, waiting to go west on Fulkerson across South 11th. Multiple witnesses told police the van had the green light when it began to cross South 11th. At that point, a truck traveling north on South 11th hit the van on the front driver’s side. Witnesses said the truck failed to stop at the red light.

The truck had an Illinois license plate. The driver of the truck was not injured.

The female driver of the van had to be extricated from the vehicle.

Names of those involved are being withheld at this time.

Niles Township Fire Department, Southwestern Community Ambulance Service and Michigan State Police assisted at the scene.