HARDIN CO., Ky. (WHAS11) -- A Hardin County high school is mourning the loss of two students, and praying for the recovery of two others after a horrific weekend crash. Kat Peeter, a senior, and Jacob Barber, a recent graduate, were killed when a suspect fleeing police hit their car on Highway 30 in Elizabethtown. Two other teens were seriously hurt.
The suspect, Shawn Welsh, is now facing nine charges in connection to the crash. Police report DUI and murder charges are pending.
"Tragic events can happen like this when someone fails to abide by instructions by a police officer,” KSP Trooper Scotty Sharp said.
The police report outlined the incident, which started in Meade County, 21 miles from where it ended.
According to the report, two suspects, Welsh and Laura Neville, were parked on a dead-end road and spotted by police on Saturday evening.
When the officer drove toward their car they sped away, nearly hitting the cruiser. That’s when the officer turned on his lights and sirens and the pursuit was started.
At one point, police said Welsh nearly hit swerved off the road to avoid stop sticks, narrowly missing officers on the ground.
Eighteen minutes later, two other agencies had joined the chase as the suspect continued through Vine Grove and Radcliff.
The suspects eventually ran a red light and crashed on Highway 30 in Elizabethtown. Four teens were inside the car they hit.
Peeters and Barber died instantly, and two other teens were rushed to the hospital.
The weekend incident was a disturbing one to the friends and family of those teenagers, including John Hardin High School where all four were students.
"Jacob, I'll always remember your smile and Kat, I'll always remember your laugh. Just know that we're always here for you and we hope you're always here for us. We hope to see you some point again,” Nick Novotka, a senior student, said to his friends.
Novotka said he last saw Peeters and Barber only hours before their death at a school event.
He remembered, "Kat looked great as a princess and yeah that was just the last time I talked to them. I didn't even really say bye."
It’s been a hard day for students and staff inside this building.
Jacob, who had recently graduated, and Kat, a senior, were members of the school archery team.
Archery Coach Roy Wickward said, "What happened this weekend was truly a great loss and they're going to be missed very dearly."
►Contact reporter Shay McAlister at smcalister@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Shay) and Facebook.