A single-vehicle crash Thursday has claimed the lives of two Crawfordsville teens.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, a Mitsubishi Lancer was traveling southbound on C.R. 200W south of C.R. 200S just before 6:30 p.m. when it left the road, went down an embankment and struck a tree.
Efforts to rescue the 17-year-old driver and his 15-year-old male passenger were unsuccessful and they were pronounced dead at the scene, Sheriff Ryan Needham said in a press release.
The sheriff’s office did not release the names of the victims. A mass notification message sent by Crawfordsville High School administrators Friday identified the driver as Michael Leak, a junior.
The other victim was a Southmont High School student, whom administrators declined to identify because his name has not been released by police or family members.
Leak was a student with the West Central Fire/Rescue program. West Central administrators announced Leak’s death Thursday on their social media page.
“In the short time we had together we heard and saw Mike’s humor [and] his love for the learning about the fire service and his eagerness to learn more,” the post read.
Crawfordsville High School principal Greg Hunt offered his condolences to the families and friends of the two teens and said counseling services would be available for CHS students.
South Montgomery Superintendent Dr. Shawn Greiner released a statement saying the school district was “mourning the loss of two young men in our community last night.”
“We are deeply saddened by the untimely death of a young man who was a friend to many and a vibrant part of our school community at Southmont High School. He is already missed greatly by his classmates and teachers,” Greiner said.
“We also send our condolences to those at Crawfordsville High School for their loss,” he added. “Our prayers go out to both families, and for members of our community, as we all grieve together.”
The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Kevin Crull at kevin.crull@montgomerycounty.in.gov or Sgt. Jake Watson at jake.watson@montgomerycounty.in.gov or call 765-362-3740.
Assisting at the scene were Crawfordsville Police, Crawfordsville Fire, Indiana State Police, New Market Town Marshal, Montgomery County Coroner and Wilson’s Towing.
