On the way to their prom, two Indiana high school students were in a severe car accident in Arcadia on Saturday. They did not survive the crash and never reached their high school dance.
Two Indiana High School Students Never Made It to Prom
Last Saturday, two students on the way to Hamilton Heights High School (private school) were victims of a car crash that took their lives on the day of their Senior Prom. The victims of the deadly accident were seniors, identified as Kalen Hart, and her prom date, Lendon Byram, from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, as reported by CNN.
Their passing was confirmed by the Hamilton County sheriff's spokesperson Ryan McClain, who confirmed officers could not save the students on the scene.
Police confirmed that the crash happened at 5:15 p.m. in Arcadia, 40 miles north of Indianapolis. Officers noted they searched the vehicle's wreckage to check if anyone survived the unfortunate tragedy. Both students in the car were left lifeless from the impact.
A report by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office noted that the four inside the car was T-Boned (impact) at 5:15 a.m. by an SUV on the way to Kokomo, where the prom was held. The impact was significant enough that both vehicles were knocked off the road and into a field.
Two Indiana high school students went to the prom, the accident occurred with two more in the car's back seat, but they did not get the brunt of the impact and survived with lesser injuries. The other vehicle involved in the mishap was another high school student but did not ask for medical help, said McClain.
How the crash happened is getting investigated, no proof that it was drugs or alcohol involved in the accident, said the official. Learning of the Arcadia accident, the school suspended the prom when the news came out.
As a response to the unfortunate accident, the Hamilton H.S. Corporation posted on Facebook last Saturday night.
The death of Hart and Byram prompted the HHSC to provide grief counselors and support staff for the students and staff to console everyone affected. More help from HHSC came with information from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Cathedral High School also did the same to support students in grief over Byram.
What happened to Byram and Hart is preventable, according to one site that has these suggestions that parents can do, especially during prom night. Here are some statistics to shock most parents, which will be an eye-opener.
- Statistics show that 90% of teens drink and drive
- Teenaged drinking is the cause of 1/3 of accidents and death among teens
- 54% of teens drinking 4+ glasses of alcohol on prom night
- 5000 deaths annually of people under 21-years old due to drinking
One of the best ways to avoid teenage children becoming a statistic is to prevent alcohol intake and impress that drinking and driving do not mix.
The sheriff's office determined Byram and Hart had not drunk alcohol, but the two Indiana teens died in the freak auto collision with an SUV going to the prom. It could be anyone, so teens and alcohol should be avoided.
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