HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- The Hermitage High School community is mourning the loss of a Hermitage High School student killed in a crash after school on Tuesday.
Family members at the crash scene Wednesday identified the deceased as 14-year-old Keyon Johnson.
"The Hermitage High School community is devastated by the loss of a member of the Panther family," a Henrico Schools spokesperson said without identifying the crash victim. "We extend our deepest condolences to the student’s family and friends."
Johnson was in a car that crashed at about 5:57 p.m. near the intersection of Olde West Drive and Kilcolman Drive.
Two other Hermitage students, both 14 years old, were also in the car.
Those 14-year-old students survived the crash with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
"The preliminary investigation shows the vehicle occupied by three juveniles was traveling at a high rate of speed on Olde West Drive when the driver lost control and went onto the sidewalk, [fatally] striking two dogs being walked by their owner [who was not hurt]. The vehicle continued down the road before striking a tree and a parked vehicle," a Henrico Police spokesperson wrote in a Wednesday afternoon update. "All three juveniles involved in Tuesday evening’s crash are 14 years of age. The vehicle that was involved in the crash belongs to the family of one of the juveniles. The vehicle was not reported as stolen."
Police have not yet said who was driving the crashed car.
'A Big Teddy Bear'
"Keyon was a big teddy bear," godmother Machelle Evans said Wednesday at the scene of the crash. "He was a loving, sweet, kind young man. He was very outgoing. Loved to swim, loved the water."
Friends and relatives told CBS 6 that Keyon's mother is overseas and they were working to raise funds to fly her home.
"We're asking the community to come together as a village for Keyon and help us get her home," cousin Jahnea Williams said through tears. "She's distraught. She told us to do whatever we have to do to get her home to her baby."
Witness to the Crash
Neighbor Stephen Gibbs said he was picking up his mail Tuesday evening when he heard the sound of screeching tires.
"It startled me, so I came over the hill and I saw the car that was into the tree," Gibbs said. "A lot of people started coming in right away. They were trying to get the driver out... they were able to get the driver out and move him to the other side of the road. Then the other passenger in the back was still walking around. But it was the one in the front seat that was lying right here."
Gibbs called the road where the car crashed heavily traveled among neighbors.
"A lot of families, a lot of strollers, you know, a lot of dogs and people walking their animals. So it could have been a lot worse," he said. "If you're at a high rate of speed, when you come around this corner, you know, there's not a lot of time to react. And so even coming up this way, and you have the sidewalk and people being distracted on their phones, and it's just not really a safe corner."
Neighbor William Cannon said he complained to the county several years ago regarding the blind corner and was able to get signs installed to alert drivers.
"After several wrecks right down the hill. And I very much doubt that many people pay much attention to it because they're not really sure what the sign means," he said.
But Cannon and Gibbs said they would like to see speed bumps or a stop sign on that road.
"Something to slow people down," Cannon said.
CBS 6 has reached out to Henrico County and asked if they would be considering additional traffic calming measures in light of the crash.
The Police Investigation
While Henrico Police continue to investigate the fatal crash involving the 14-year-old Hermitage High School students, they used to opportunity to remind parents/guardians to "take precautions to prevent unlicensed minors from operating a vehicle."
Anyone with information was asked to call Officer T. Holmes at 804-501-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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