2 Teens Killed In Car Accident On Their Way To Prom

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Authorities found four Indiana teens inside a crashed Honda Accord Saturday and pronounced two dead at the scene
Police said their vehicle was T-boned by an SUV while the teens were on their way to prom in Kokomo
The crash is still being investigated, but police believe alcohol or drugs were not a factor

Two high school students from Arcadia, Indiana, were killed in a car crash while they were on their way to prom Saturday, police said.

Deputies were alerted of a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of 281st Street and Lacy Road at approximately 5:15 p.m., WTHR reported, citing the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

Police said officers and medics found four teens inside a crashed Honda Accord. The front passenger and driver were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Hamilton Heights School Corporation (HHSC) identified the two as Hamilton Heights High School senior Kalen Hart and her prom date, Cathedral High School junior Lendon Byram, respectively, WHNS reported.

The other two teens, whose names have not been publicly released, were taken to St. Vincent Hospital and were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, as per WTHR. Police also did not disclose the identity of the driver of the SUV that hit the teens' vehicle who reportedly declined medical assistance at the scene.

According to authorities, the group was on their way to prom in Kokomo when they were T-boned by the SUV, and both vehicles ended up in a nearby field.

Investigators said they did not believe alcohol or drugs contributed to the crash. The incident is still being investigated.

"At this time, all scheduled prom activities have been cancelled," HHSC superintendent Derek Arrowood said in a statement Saturday.

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Two separate fundraisers on Facebook and GoFundMe were launched following the crash.

"Anything you can give is greatly appreciated," Jody Conaway said in her Facebook fundraiser, which has already gathered $19,000 as of press time. "No parent should ever have to bury their child."

The money will go to Hart's family to help pay for funeral and burial expenses.

Chad Miller, meanwhile, described Hart in his GoFundMe page as "an amazing person."

"She was loving, caring, sweet and just an all around happy person," according to Miller. His fundraiser earned $3,851, surpassing its initial $2,000 goal.

Friends, family and community members gathered Sunday to pray and mourn the loss of the couple, WTHR reported.