14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Two teens killed in wreck

Two teens killed in wreck

By Gretchen Ross - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Sarah Harlan - email

VANDERBURGH CO., IN (WFIE) - Two teenagers were killed in a crash that happened around 9:30 Thursday night at Diamond Avenue and Saint Joseph Road near the Vanderburgh-Posey County line.  

Deputies said 65-year-old William Mears of Mount Carmel was heading west on Diamond when a car driven by 17-year-old Evansville resident Samantha Hartman collided with his pickup in the intersection.

Hartman died at the scene along with 18-year-old passenger Heather Gaddis of Newburgh.

Another passenger, 17-year-old Kacye Crook is in critical condition at Saint Mary's Medical Center.

The three were on their way home after a church picnic.  

Friday, 14 News had a chance to talk with a friend of Gaddis and Hartman from North High School where the two just graduated this past May.

She said the two girls were strong leaders loved by the student body.

North High School junior Kate Grimm still remembers the first time she met her friend Heather Gaddis.

"I originally met Heather my first year in band in the seventh grade," Grimm said. "She was the first person I met in band."

A stand out saxophone player, Gaddis was voted by her classmates this year as mostly likely to return to North as band director.

"That was her main thing in high school," Grimm said. "She was in marching band, pep band, concert orchestra, honors band."

Grimm said Gaddis offered her advice when she joined the marching band.

"She introduced me to people," Grimm said. "She taught me how to march and understand what she was saying because a lot of the time it was confusing."

When Gaddis wasn't busy with band practice, she played for the softball team, attended church youth group and spent many hours putting the school yearbook together.

"She was just a leader," Grimm said. "People would look to her to find out what was going on."

Another leader at North High School was recent graduate Samantha Hartman.

"Really, really good at German," Grimm said. "She was just as good as the German teacher was. She was pretty fluent in it."

Grimm said she was shocked to learn about the accident that claimed the life of two of her lunch buddies.

"I just cried a little," Grimm said. "It was so sad because I just saw both of them a month ago and they're gone now. It was just so hard to believe."

As Grimm mourns the loss of her friends, she said she plans to take the leadership skills she learned from both girls and apply it to her final two years at North.

"I am going to try and be involved in everything because Heather was everything and Sam was such a hard worker," Grimm said.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff's deputies are still trying to figure out how the accident happened.

The driver of the pick-up, William Mears, is being treated for non life-threatening injuries at Deaconess Hospital.

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