By Janice Morse, The Cincinnati Enquirer
and Sue Kiesewetter, Enquirer contributor

Some Butler County teens might have been planning an unusual - and dangerous - way to empathize with the death of Benjamin Reece, police say.

Talawanda High schoolmates reportedly had talked about drinking, getting high and going hill-hopping on Decamp Road, where Benjamin, 16, was killed Oct. 15. His car crashed at an estimated 96 mph, consistent with hill hopping, police said Monday. Tests showed marijuana in Benjamin's system and a blood-alcohol level of 0.04, a relatively low level but illegal because he was under 21, police said.

Officers on road patrol duty this past weekend were ordered to go to Decamp Road as often as possible to deter anyone from re-enacting the circumstances that culminated in Benjamin's death, said Butler County Sheriff's Capt. G. Michael Grimes. While officers found no sign of teens acting on the alleged plan, Grimes said mere discussion of the stunt shows teens' thought processes are not the same as adults' - "and the reality and finality of death are totally abstract to them."

The crash that killed Benjamin is among at least four serious and fatal crashes involving teen drivers in Butler County this month - leaving police, parents and schools searching for ways to prevent more tragedies.

Two teens have died and eight have been injured; the most recent crash happened in Madison Township on Friday afternoon. A youth police identified as Jake Whitacker, 15, of Middletown, was driving without a license - and possibly without a learner's permit, Grimes said. A medical helicopter took the teen to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton; no update on his condition was available Monday.

Talawanda Principal David Isaacs said he became worried about rumors of teens planning to follow Benjamin's path along Decamp Road, so he notified police.

"I had no firsthand knowledge of this, but some students came to me, concerned about activities they had heard about," Isaacs said. "That kind of behavior is not at all unusual in situations like this. They go out to the same area. It's kind of similar to putting flowers on the scene, a kind of reliving the memory of your friend."

The crashes have left many teens struggling, Isaacs said. A crisis team continues helping them.

Meanwhile, four New Driver Car Control Clinics are rapidly filling up, Isaacs said. The clinics teach teens and parents accident avoidance and defensive driving.

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E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com and suek@infionline.net