ARCADIA, Ind. — Months after two teens were killed on their way to prom, loved ones are left fighting for justice.
Last May, Lendon Byram and Kalen Hart were killed in a crash in Hamilton County near Arcadia. Two other Hamilton Heights students in the vehicle were also hurt.
Police said the teens were T-boned by another car at an intersection in a rural area.
“We were supposed to send her off to college this fall. We didn’t get to do that. She didn’t graduate,” said Rob Conaway, Kalen’s stepfather. “We’ll never get to see Kalen walk down the aisle, get married, have babies.”
It’s a tragedy that’s haunted the family for months and now they finally have some answers.
13News obtained a copy of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department’s final crash investigation report.
In the report, police say, “it is more likely than not” that Lendon stopped at the stop sign before going through the intersection.
It also states the other driver, a 17-year-old classmate, was going about 80 mph in a 55 mph zone, seconds before the crash happened. The toxicology report showed no signs of drugs or alcohol.
Investigators believe if she was going the speed limit and Lendon yielded the right of way to ongoing traffic, it’s unlikely the crash would’ve happened.
The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office is not filing any charges in the investigation at this time. The 17-year-old driver was issued a speeding ticket.
“I am confused on why she is just getting a speeding ticket when she is doing 25 mph over the speed limit. Why isn’t there reckless driving, vehicular manslaughter or something other than being able to kill two people and just get a speeding ticket?” said Conaway. “It’s like a knife through the heart reading through the reports.”
Rob said he has been in contact with the prosecutor’s office and is hoping to get more answers.
“It’s like everybody is trying to sweep this under the rug and make it disappear, instead of there being justice for Kalen and Lendon. It’s an outrage,” he said.
That’s why Conaway and his family will continue to fight for Kalen and Lendon.
“We don’t want to let them down. We will fight to our very last breath,” he said. “It just makes no sense. I am totally dumbfounded.”
The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office said it will not make a public statement about an uncharged juvenile matter.
13News also reached out to the parents of the 17-year-old driver involved in the crash and have not heard back.
Last week, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Kalen’s mother against the teenage driver. It alleges she drove “carelessly and negligently” right before the crash by speeding and not looking out for another vehicle.