FULTON CO. — Investigators are searching for answers and police across the state are mourning the death of an Indiana State Trooper who died in a car accident Sunday night.

Peru-based state trooper Daniel Barrett, 25, just graduated from the Indiana State Police Academy last July. He got his squad car in October.

Police are now trying to figure out what went wrong Sunday night on U.S. 31. Hours after Barrett crashed his squad car and died, investigators combed the scene by air and on foot.

"[We’re] just trying to figure out why this crash occurred, because right now we don't have those answers and there's no guarantees we'll ever have them,” explained Sgt. Tony Slocum of the Indiana State Police Peru post.

Police say Barrett was northbound on US 31, just north of Rochester, when he radioed into dispatch at 10:40 Sunday night. It's not clear whether he was chasing someone, but just two minutes later, a passing semi-truck driver called 911 after seeing his squad car crashed into a tree.

"One of our troopers was the first one on scene and found Trooper Barrett deceased,” Slocum told WSBT News.

The news spread quickly through Logansport — Barrett's hometown. Former teachers remember an upbeat student who went above and beyond.

"He was just the kindest, sweetest young man,” said Kim Steele, Logansport High School librarian.

"He was a quiet boy in class, but very interested in history, government and politics,” said social studies teacher John Morgan.

So much so that Barrett went with a group of other students to President Bush's inauguration in 2001.

"[He was] kind to his teachers, kind to his peers,” Steele said.

Those characteristics stayed with him. Last month, Barrett volunteered for the "Shop with a Cop" program.

On the job, his fluent Spanish skills helped a lot.

"One time on a traffic stop, I had a Hispanic driver. We had trouble communicating with each other,” Slocum remembered. “Trooper Barrett from his home was able to talk on the cell phone and translate."

Now, the flag at the Indiana State Police Peru post is at half-staff. Black bands mark the loss of a brother, a friend, and a man who died so young doing what he loved.

Trooper Barrett is survived by his mother, father and three siblings.

So far, police say no one has come forward saying they witnessed the crash. Police are asking anyone who saw a state police car on US 31 near Rochester between 10:30 and 10:45 Sunday night to call them at (800) 382-0689.