A man and a woman were killed in a single-car crash near the New Castle Airport early today, and another man was in serious condition.
State police said the crash happened about 2:25 a.m. on Airport Road, near Commons Boulevard.

Gavin M. Johnson, 20, of Bear, was driving a 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis south at apparent high speed when he lost control of the vehicle, said state police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Oldham. The car went off the east edge of the road on a curve, and Johnson overcorrected, causing the car to spin and then slide sideways before going off the west side of the road. Oldham said the Mercury struck a mailbox and sign before hitting a utility pole on the driver's side, snapping off the pole at its base. The car continued on and came to rest in a private driveway.

Johnson, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 19-year-old rear-seat passenger, Kayla A. Cabral, of New Castle, also was pronounced dead at the scene. Seatbelt usage for Cabral is unknown, Oldham said. A 20-year-old restrained front seat passenger, Alfred M. Lee Jr., of New Castle, was admitted to Christiana Hospital in serious condition with a fractured back and head trauma.

The crash remains under investigation by state police, and a preliminary investigation suggests alcohol was involved in the crash, Oldham said.

The roadway was closed for approximately five hours after the crash, and the right lane of southbound Airport Road will remain closed possibly for the remainder of today.