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Billboards go up pushing for carbon monoxide testing law

Posted at 12:41 AM, Jul 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-28 00:41:05-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- A west side couple who lost their daughter in a car crash hope a new billboard put up in her memory will get your attention.

In June 2015, 18-year-old Ben Davis High School senior Savannah Bettis died in a car crash. An autopsy showed both she and her boyfriend Jesse Hurt, who was driving, had high levels of carbon monoxide in their system.

An investigation determined an exhaust leak had allowed the carbon monoxide to flow into the cabin of the vehicle.

Now Bettis' family is pushing for a law that would require emissions testing – and a billboard bearing their daughter's picture is helping them do it.

Local businesses are also collecting petition signatures to show lawmakers they are serious about the proposal. More than 64,000 signatures have been collected already.

Organizers are hoping to present a bill for the legislature to consider by December.