MIAMI COUNTY, Ind. -- Three people were killed in a two-vehicle crash in Miami County Monday night.
Officers with the Miami County Sheriff's Department responded to U.S. 24 near Miami County Road 250 North shortly after 9 p.m.
Indiana State Police Investigators William Thorn, 86, of Peru, Indiana, was headed westbound in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 24 when his Toyota Camry hit a Mazda Protege head-on.
Thorn and the driver of the Mazda, Ethan Richman, 18, of Kokomo, were pronounced dead at the scene.
A passenger in the Mazda, Lea Byers, 19, of Greentown, Indiana, was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Lea's family says she and Ethan, her boyfriend, had been in Kokomo to attend a memorial service for Lea's foster niece.
They were headed back to their home in Fort Wayne when the crash occurred.
"Lea just always wanted to bring happiness to everyone around her," said her nephew, Devin Byers.
Byers said he was at the memorial with Lea just hours before the crash and he will always remember the last thing she said to him.
"Lea looked up to me and said, 'Funerals are sad but one thing i enjoy about it is that I get to see my entire family together under one roof,'" said Devin.
Her niece, Jenna, said she devastated, but glad that Lea was able to be with family members before she died.
"Before she left, she gave us all hugs and told us that she loved us," said Jenna. "And that was one of the best memories that she got to say goodbye to everyone she loved before she left us."
Lea Byers, 19, one victim of triple-fatal crash near Peru. Family tells me she was returning from memorial service pic.twitter.com/gUzoFRCi8t
— Mike Pelton (@MikePeltonRTV6) April 4, 2017
Family members say the couple had been dating for two years and were freshmen at Indiana University Kokomo.
Ethan's brother, Lucas, said he's dealing with the news as best as he can, because it wasn't just a brother that he lost Monday evening.
"I dropped to my knees immediately, because that's my best friend," said Lucas.
Lucas isn't sure what the days ahead will hold, but he plans to work hard to retain his brother's memory.
"I want him to be remembered just as he was when he was alive," said Lucas. "The outgoing person he was, he made a lot of people happy."
From Lea Byers Facebook page
Troopers say all three victims were wearing seat belts, but the impact of the crash was too severe for the restraints to prevent their deaths.
The investigation is ongoing but troopers say neither alcohol or drugs is suspected to have contributed to the crash. They say they believe the elderly driver just got confused in the dark and the rain.
