TIPTON COUNTY, Ind. — Two central Indiana teenagers were killed in a crash Sunday morning, just one week before Christmas.
Connor Gavin Petro, 18, of Sheridan, and Adam Michael Gordon Johnson, 17, of Kokomo, died in the crash, according to Tipton County Coroner Robert Nichols.
Petro, a senior at Sheridan High School, was driving his compact Smart Car in Tipton County with Johnson as his passenger early Sunday morning.
At around 2 a.m., Petro lost control of the car, crashing near the intersection of State Road 19 and Division Road — about two miles north of the center of Tipton and 50 miles north of Indianapolis.
The car rolled several times in the crash, ejecting Petro and Johnson.
In the aftermath, another driver saw Petro's crashed car at around 2:07 a.m. and called 911 for help, Nichols said.
When first responders arrived, they pronounced Petro and Johnson dead at the scene.
Police are investigating the crash. At this time, Nichols said drugs and alcohol are not believed to have been a factor in the crash, but they're still running tests. Police believe speed may have contributed to the crash.
Petro was a former football player at Sheridan, although he did not play on this year's sectional champion team. He would have graduated this spring.
Sheridan Schools sent the following email to parents about the incident and its impact on finals:
As many of you may have already learned, it is with a heavy heart that I share the tragic news of the passing of one of our Sheridan HS students. Early Sunday morning, senior Gavin Petro and his cousin were killed in a single car accident.
Dealing with the loss of a student, classmate, community member is always extremely difficult. The difficulty will certainly be heightened by the timing of the holiday season and the last two days with final exams scheduled.
This situation will most certainly have a direct or indirect impact on a large percentage of our students. This loss will prevent some from preparing, some from attending, some from focusing, and some in ways we cannot predict. For these reasons, and knowing that in the grand scheme dealing with the loss of a classmate and peer far outweighs a single exam, we are going to make some adjustment to how finals are assessed this semester.
Students will still take finals according to the planned schedule, but the student score will only be recorded if it improves their semester grade. If it does not improve their grade, the final exam will be exempted.
Why not just cancel finals? Many students have worked to be well prepared and may need a certain score to achieve the desired grade. Staying with the final exam schedule keeps things moving forward as planned, but removes negative consequences for students who are impacted by or processing this very difficult situation.
Please keep the Petro family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you,
Mr. Rick Davis
13News was not able to obtain a photo of Johnson or find out where he attended school.