Family of teen killed in Hamilton County crash demands driver be held accountable; Sheriff says ‘trust the process’

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — More than a month after 18-year-old Mason Alexander was killed in a fiery crash, his family is still seeking answers about what exactly caused it and why the driver of the vehicle Alexander was riding in hasn’t been held accountable.

The Hamilton Southeastern star athlete died on March 1 when the car he was a passenger in went off the road and struck a tree.

According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), the white 2016 BMW 340 was heading south on Florida Road from 113th Street. As the BMW was heading south, the driver of a 2015 silver Toyota RAV4 was heading northbound on Florida Road near Geist Park.

The driver of the BMW attempted to pass a southbound car by entering the northbound lanes. As the BMW’s driver came over a hill in the roadway, they spotted the Toyota and veered to avoid a crash.

When the BMW left the roadway, it slipped through some grass, hit a tree and caught fire.

“He had a good life ahead of him,” Alexander’s cousin Sharice Patterson said. “He should still be here with us. Someone else’s actions took him from us.”

Very little information about the factors that caused the crash or the 17-year-old driver have been made public. According to a crash report FOX59/CBS4 obtained, the driver was tested for drugs and alcohol. The results of the testing have not been publicly released.

“The only way to get closure … is to know what happens in certain situations, and we don’t have that closure, and we need that to move forward,” Alexander’s cousin Adrian Johnson said. “Something happened, and we want to know what happened, and they’re not telling us anything, and it’s not right.”

Alexander’s family and friends held a rally early Monday evening. Before the rally began, HCSO put out a statement telling the family and community to “trust the process.” The agency indicated that its investigation of the crash is ongoing and interviews are still being conducted.

“There are established policies and procedures that guide investigations and adherence to them are essential,” HCSO officials wrote in their statement. “Any deviation could compromise the integrity of the case, risk overlooking critical evidence, and ultimately, would not be fair to the Alexander family or anyone else involved.”

Alexander’s family believes the driver was reckless and investigators are protecting him. The least they deserve, they said, is an apology.

“I can’t say I want this person to go to jail forever,” Johnson said. “I just want someone to step up and say ‘Hey, this is what happened, and I’m sorry.’ Whatever you wanna say, but you need to be up here and held accountable.”

HCSO reported that it met with the county prosecutor on April 17 to discuss the case. FOX59/CBS4 reached out to the agency to find out if a charging decision has been made and has yet to hear back.