Kokomo, IN : Two students killed in car accident on April, Tuesday 18th 2017

Indiana University Kokomo paid tribute Tuesday to two of its students who were killed in a car accident earlier this month with a memorial service in the school's Kresge Auditorium.

Ethan Richman, 18, of Kokomo, and Lea Byers, 19, of Greentown, both freshmen, died on April 3 when their car was struck by a wrong-way driver, who also died, on U.S. 24 in Miami County.

"They were always happy," said Courtney Pennington, who was in a speech class with the couple, in a press release. "If they saw somebody who was down, they cheered them up. There was something special about them."

Speakers at Tuesday's memorial included Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs Todd Gambill, Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke, senior business major Kaylee Pattengale, Dean of the School of Business Alan Krabbenhoft, and Lecturer in Communication Arts Joann Kaiser.

Amber Moore, an English major from Kokomo, sang “How Does a Moment Last Forever.”

Kaiser had both Ethan and Lea in her speech class and said the remaining 14 students in the class are devastated.

"There's going to be a hole," Kaiser said in the release. "People will notice they are gone. Lea had a smile for everyone, and Ethan did too. They were good kids, they were hard workers, leaders, well-liked."

She recalled that the two were together constantly but were focused on being students. Richman, who was a Northwestern High School graduate and the oldest of four siblings, and Byers had been a couple for about two years.

"They were both pre-nursing students," Kaiser said. "That was their goal. They were determined to get into the nursing program. That was their purpose in being here."

Pennington said they weren't a typical teenage couple, because of their goals and focus.

"They were mature, and held each other to their responsibilities," she said. "They challenged each other."

They had a unique sense of humor, Pennington added, recalling that Ethan was "rotten, so ornery," while Lea was "the innocent, gets the joke five minutes later kind of hilarious." Both were intelligent, Pennington added, noting that Lea was "a math genius," who helped her through the math class they took together.

"I just want everyone to know how wonderful they were," Pennington said in the release. "We want their families to know we are thinking about them and remembering them."

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IU Kokomo pays tribute to two students killed in car accident