ARCADIA, Ind. — Two Indiana high school students died and two others were injured in a car crash Saturday night on their way to prom, school officials said.
Hamilton Heights School Corporation canceled the prom around 7 p.m. after finding out about the crash involving the students, WTHR reported.
Hamilton Heights senior Kalen Hart and her date, Cathedral High School junior Lendon Byram were killed in the crash, WTHR reported. The names of the other students involved have not been released.
“It’s heartbreaking. It’s the worst nightmare,” Hamilton Heights Superintendent Derek Arrowood told WTHR. “It’s a horrible situation. So what we do in horrible situations is we try to love each other and we try to support each other and we try to make sure everyone’s needs are met to the best of our abilities and that’s absolutely what we are working on now.”
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office said a Honda Accord with the four students inside was T-boned around 5:15 p.m. by an SUV while they were driving to the prom in Kokomo. Both of the vehicles ended up in a nearby field.
First responders found Byram, the driver, and Hart, the passenger, dead at the scene, WTHR reported. The other passengers were taken to a hospital where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the SUV, who has not been identified, declined medical treatment at the scene.
Investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol was a factor.
The school district said Sunday that grief counselors would be available.
“It’s heartbreaking to see anyone in pain,” Arrowood said. “It’s especially heartbreaking when it’s family members in pain and this is my family. My role is to create opportunities for our students to go off and do great things and now there are students who won’t be able to do those great things and there are students who are impacted by that loss. My own kids went here and graduated so I also look at it through the lens of a parent and as a parent how could you possibly deal with that grief? So we need to make sure we are supporting those families.”
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart we share the passing of Lendon Byram '22. Cathedral will have counselors and members of our faith-based community on our athletic/football practice field Sunday at 1 p.m. to gather, grieve, and pray. Rest in peace, Lendon. pic.twitter.com/UcwbAR5UDh
— Cathedral HS (@GoCathedral) May 2, 2021
Cox Media Group
