'Blessing to our school community.' Lebanon mourns teen who died in single-car crash
A 17-year-old junior at the Warren County Career Center was killed early Monday when his car went off the road and struck a tree.
Monday afternoon, Lebanon City Schools spokeswoman Wendy Planicka confirmed the victim, Shawn Mitchell, was a Lebanon student enrolled in the career center, which offers technical education to high school and adult students.
The Lebanon Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a news release that it continues to investigate the wreck.
A preliminary probe shows Mitchell was driving south on Hart Road near Miller Road when his 2002 Honda Civic went off the left side of the road about 3 a.m., the release said.
The release said the young Lebanon resident was dead at the scene.
Lebanon City Schools Superintendent Isaac Seevers sent a message to families with children in the school district Monday evening announcing Mitchell's death "with a heavy heart."
Seevers said Mitchell was to be a senior next school year at the Warren County Career Center student and graduate with the Class of 2024.
While Mitchell was at Lebanon, Seevers said, he participated in junior high wrestling and high school track and cross country his freshmen and sophomore years.
Mitchell was enrolled in the career center sports medicine program at the Atrium Campus and in academic courses at the Main Campus, the superintendent said.
"His teachers described him as a sweet and bright young man with big plans for his future," Seevers said.
"He loved working out and keeping fit, and recently expressed the goal of becoming a powerlifter. Shawn worked at Village Ice Cream Parlor and was known as a faithful friend and a leader amongst his classmates and peers. He will be remembered as a delightful young man and a blessing to our school community."
In conjunction with the Warren County Career Center, Lebanon High School will have staff and counselors available for students at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 30, at both the career center's Main Campus at 3525 N. Ohio 48 in Lebanon and Atrium Campus at 5757 Innovation Drive in Middletown.
Seevers told parents that if their child needs to speak with a counselor or be with their peers, the school district will make arrangements.
People can call Tracey Funke, a social worker with the school district, at 513-623-5734 with needs.
The Enquirer will update this story when more information is available.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lebanon teen Shawn Mitchell killed in crash
