Blake Perkins took better care of his car than most 18-year-olds do. "He kept it in mint condition," said Perkins' mother, Tammy Pedersen of Deltona. "It was very clean, more than most teenagers." Perkins, who often competed with his overhauled 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier in local auto shows, died in the vehicle Tuesday afternoon. He was driving to a Fourth of July family cookout in Lake Helen. The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 92 in DeLand about 5 p.m. Police said Perkins was driving at high speed when he hit a Nissan sedan pulling onto U.S. 92 from a stop sign at the intersection of McDonald Avenue. The Cavalier slid sideways about 300 feet before it left the road and flipped upside down, pinning Perkins inside, according to a DeLand police report. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The driver of the Nissan, Charlotte Winfrey, 75, of DeLand was not injured. "It was just horrible," said Winfrey, who lives a block from where the accident happened. "I feel so sorry for the family." Winfrey said she saw Perkins driving "really fast" right before he hit her Nissan, although police have not yet determined his speed. His car hit two separate spots on Winfrey's front bumper, she said, before sliding off the road. Pedersen described her son as a quiet boy with "an awesome sense of humor." He graduated from Deltona High School in May and wanted to join the police academy. "He was very much into the car," she said, adding that Perkins had the black and white vehicle "all souped up with a sound system." On his Web page, Perkins said he loves "working on cars" and he had a "Hooked up Cavalier." But he noted "NO ITS NOT ALL ABOUT MY CAR . . . I want a genuine nice girl." He also described his parents as his heroes. Police expect to spend the next several months investigating the crash, said DeLand police Cmdr. Randel Henderson. Perkins' driving record shows at least five traffic violations since December, including reckless driving and running a stop sign. "He was not perfect," Pedersen said, adding that she didn't want people to think her son was a dangerous driver, even though he owned a sporty car. More than a dozen friends gathered at the Pedersens' home Wednesday night to comfort the family. Pedersen said her son was probably driving from his grandmother's house in Orange City when he ended up taking U.S. 92 before he was supposed to arrive at the barbecue. Pedersen left the cookout Tuesday evening after receiving a call from a police chaplain. "All the way home I tried calling and calling [Blake's] cell phone," she said, "but I guess somebody finally turned it off." Pedersen said Perkins' biological father died in a traffic accident in New Smyrna Beach before Perkins was born. Other survivors include Perkins' stepfather, Morten Pedersen of Deltona; his brother, Nicholas Williams, 14; and three stepbrothers, Bruce Pedersen, 7, Maiken Groetved, 16, and Simon Groetved, 17. Lankford Funeral Home & Crematory, DeLand, is handling arrangements. "He will be missed dearly and was loved much," Pedersen said.