2 Indiana High School Students Die in Car Crash on Way to Prom

Terrence Ellies, 27, was allegedly in the middle of a home invasion when he was fatally shot by the homeowner.
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The school announced it is offering grief counceling for fellow classmates.

Two Indiana high school students died over the weekend in a car crash on the way to their prom, KHOU 11 reported.

Two students died on their way to the prom at Hamilton Heights School Corporation in Arcadia, Indiana, while two others suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash, CNN reported. The prom was immediately cancelled after news of the tragedy broke.

Hamilton Heights Superintendent Derek Arrowood sent a message to families sharing the news. It was also posted on their Facebook page.

"We are reaching out to share there has been an accident involving Hamilton Heights students on their way to prom," Arrowood said in a statement. "It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we have been informed that two students involved in this accident have died from their injuries."

Hamilton County sheriff's spokesperson Ryan McClain said that the crash happened around 5:15 p.m. in Arcadia, about 40 miles north of Indianapolis. When cops arrived, both students were found deceased, CNN reported.

The driver of another vehicle involved in the crash was also a high school student but declined medical attention, McClain said, according to CNN.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. There were no immediate signs that drugs or alcohol were involved, McClain said.

The names of the late students were released and identified as Hamilton Heights senior Kalen Hart and her date, Cathedral High School junior Lendon Byram, according to Indy Star.

"No parent should ever have to bury their child," Kalen Hart's mother, Jody Bartrom Conaway, posted on Facebook with an announcement for a fundraiser seeking $15,000, according to Indy Star.

"My 18 year old daughter, along with her boyfriend, were killed in an automobile accident on her way to prom," she wrote. "Who I'm raising money for Kalens family will receive the money to help pay for funeral and burial expenses. Anything you can give is greatly appreciated."

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