The accident occurred about 11:45 p.m. Monday. The car, a 1990 white or ivory Lexus, was traveling west on Centerville Road when it apparently went out of control near Pine View Drive.
“The operator was westbound. He may have crossed over the center line, overcorrected a couple of times and lost control of the vehicle, going off the left-hand side of the roadway sideways,” Williams said. The car then went along the ditch line before going airborne over a farm fence that is located across the street from Pine View Estates.
“The car ended up approximately another 200 to 250 feet beyond where it came down from being airborne,” Williams said. “The car ended up upright, about 50 feet off the roadway, in a farm field.” The crash scene itself is over 800 feet long.
The 18-year-old driver, whom police believe was also from Centerville, was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, Williams said. He is not believed to be related to Person.
“(Person) remained in the vehicle. He was partially ejected at some point, but ended up back in the vehicle,” Williams said.
Police know who the Lexus belongs to, but Williams did not immediately disclose the owner’s name. However, he did say that the car was not stolen.
The crash remains under investigation, but crash investigators believe speed possibly played a role.
Williams declined to comment on the specific details given in the preliminary statement that the driver gave police. “We will do a follow-up investigation at a later time,” Williams said.
Some passerbys witnessed the crash, according to Williams.
Centerville Road between east Wilmington-Dayton Road and Ferry Road remained closed Tuesday morning.
Thomas Henderson, Centerville City Schools superintendent, said he found out about the fatal crash when he was watching an early television news broadcast. “It’s a tragedy. It’s awful and terrible,” Henderson said.
Person was a student at the district’s alternative school - School of Possibilities on McEwen Road. The school is for students who may not function well in a traditional school setting. Henderson didn’t know Person, but said the school’s principal described him as a “very nice young man.”
Henderson did not have the name of the 18-year-old driver and there was no immediate indication Tuesday morning that he was a Centerville student.
Henderson announced the news of Person’s death to students and staff Tuesday morning, according to Dan Tarpey, director of Human Resources for Centerville City Schools.
“We have a crisis plan that’s already in place,” Tarpey said.
District officials plan to communicate with the parents via the district’s listserv.
“If students come home upset, be available to listen,” Henderson said, referring to his advice to parents.
Wednesday is the last day of class at the high school before summer break.
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