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Family continues with efforts for Savannah’s Law at Indiana Fever Game

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The parents of a Ben Davis High School senior who died from carbon monoxide poisoning are hoping to raise awareness Friday night at the Indiana Fever game.

John and Wendy Bettis told 24-Hour News 8 their daughter’s death could have been prevented.

They started a petition for Savannah’s Law, which would require all vehicles to get a proper emission testing. They said they have received a lot of positive feedback and even some pushback.

John and Wendy Bettis lost their only child last summer. Savannah was just one week away from graduating from high school when she died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

“We still grieve Savannah’s loss. We always will for the rest of our lives,” said John Bettis, Savannah’s dad.

She was in the car with her boyfriend when he lost control and crashed. Police said both had high levels of carbon monoxide in their systems. Police later learned her boyfriend’s car had a leak in the exhaust pipe.

“If we can help that through Savannah’s name, then that’s what we’re going to do,” he said.

So Friday night they are taking their message to the Indiana Fever game.

“Anxious, excited, scared, you know, to be in front of that many people,” he said.

Bettis said a portion of the proceeds from the group buy ticket sales will go towards a memorial fund, used for scholarships and to help the Ben Davis High School show choir.

The Bettis’ are hoping to get more people on board and to sign their petition, which already has more than 65,000 signatures.

“We’ve had people contact us to tell us, hey we parked our vehicle because we had a test done and it failed,” he said, “So we’re not driving it anymore with our two little kids in it.”

But there has been some opposition. Bettis said he received comments on social media and recently learned about a petition to stop Savannah’s Law. The petition on Change.org only has nine signatures as of Thursday night.

“They feel sympathy for our loss but unless they’re really in our shoes, they don’t know the feeling of losing a child over something senseless,” he said.

The Bettis’ are working with the Wayne Township Fire Department to do free carbon monoxide testing.

An event is scheduled for this Saturday if you would like to get your car tested in the parking lot of Sam’s Club. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 5805 Rockville Road.

Click here to sign the petition for Savannah’s Law.