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BOSTON – With graduation approaching, a time for celebration turned somberat Boston University on Saturday as students who were packing up atthe end of the school year learned that three classmates studyingin New Zealand were killed when their minivan crashed during aweekend trip. Five other students were injured in the accident early Saturday,including one who was in critical condition. Boston University spokesman Colin Riley said those killed in theaccident were Daniela Lekhno, 20, of Manalapan, N.J.; AustinBrashears, 21, of Huntington Beach, Calif.; and Roch Jauberty, 21,whose parents live in Paris. The students were traveling in a minivan near the North Islandvacation town of Taupo when the van drifted to the side of the roadand then rolled when the driver tried to correct course, NewZealand police said. Three of the students died at the scene, police said. Another womanwas in critical condition at a hospital, while four other studentssustained moderate injuries. New Zealand police said Sunday twoinjured victims — both women, one 20 and the other 21 —remain hospitalized in stable condition. The other two injured inthe crash — a 20-year-old man and 20-year-old woman —were released Saturday. Another BU student, Margaret Theriault, was airlifted from thecrash site to a hospital in Taupo and remained in criticalcondition a day after the accident. In a statement Sundayafternoon, local health official Mary Anne Gill said the21-year-old woman had surgery Saturday night and was in intensivecare. New Zealand police spokeswoman Kim Perks said Sunday that anysuggestion as to the cause of the crash at this stage is "justspeculation," and that the investigation into the accident "willtake some time." Efforts by The Associated Press to reach family members of Lekhnoand Brashears were unsuccessful Saturday. A person who answered thephone at the home of Lekhno's family declined to comment, and amessage left at a phone listing for Brashears' family wasn'timmediately returned. Brashears' mother, Julie, told The Boston Globe that he frequentlyposted new photos on Facebook documenting his adventures in NewZealand, including bungee-jumping off the Auckland Harbor Bridge onhis birthday. She said he planned weekend outings for the studyabroad group. "Everyone called him the cruise director," she said. "He wanted toinclude everybody on the trips. He loved having an eclectic groupof friends." Student body president Howard Male, a friend of Brashears, said theBoston University students had posted Facebook updates inanticipation of the trip, saying they hoped to view scenerycaptured on film in the "Lord of the Rings" movies. "They were all so excited to be able to go explore what manyguidebooks ... have called some of the most beautiful places on theplanet," Male said. At the university, final exams ended Friday, and there were fewoutward signs of any socializing on Saturday morning. The studentunion was deserted. The main activity involved students in thedorms hauling out boxes and pushing rolling bins filled with theirbelongings to waiting moving trucks or their parents' cars as theyscurried to meet a noon deadline to clear out. Student Marcelle Richard, who was moving out after finishing herfreshman year, said news of the other students' deaths was "reallyupsetting." "They were abroad, and it's so sad that something has to happenwhen you are supposed to be experiencing one of the best times ofyour life," said Richard, 18. Richard, of New Orleans, said the tragedy will not stop her fromgoing abroad to study later in her college career. "It's just like tragedies happen, and I don't want that to stop mefrom a good learning experience," she said. Jordan Nunez, 22, a senior who is graduating next week, said thestudy abroad program is very popular among Boston Universitystudents. He estimates 25 percent to 30 percent of his friendstraveled to foreign countries to study. Still, the New Zealand accident has darkened the mood on campus, hesaid. "You think everything's always taken care for you, but things canhappen wherever you are in the world," he said. "It's justsomething that's sad for our community." Study abroad program executive director Bernd Widdig called thestudents' deaths an "unprecedented tragedy," the worst to hit theprogram since it began in the 1980s. The New Zealand part of theprogram began in 2003 and involves courses at the University ofAuckland and Auckland University of Technology. About 250 students, faculty members and well-wishers gathered inBoston on Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil for the victims. Brashears' girlfriend, junior Tori Pinheiro, cried at the vigil asshe recalled how friendly he was and how much she loved him. Shesaid he recently had left her a voicemail saying he missed her andshe has been playing it repeatedly. University President Robert Brown called the students' deaths "ahorrible tragedy" and said in an online statement his "prayers goout to the students and their families." All the students except Theriault were enrolled in a BU studyabroad program in Auckland, the BU website said. Theriault wasenrolled in a study abroad program in Sydney, Australia. Sixteen students were traveling in two minivans, on their way tohike the Tongariro Crossing, a famous trek rated as one of the mostspectacular in New Zealand. The hike crosses a volcanic crater inthe central part of North Island. None of the eight students in the second van was injured. Seven ofthose eight students were also from Boston University. Police official Kevin Taylor said it was unclear why the vandrifted to the side of the road. He said some of the students werethrown from the vehicle, indicating they may not have been wearingseat belts. Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said it was a terrible end to theyear at the school, where commencement is scheduled for May 20. "This is an unusual time on our campus," Elmore said in a statementon the school website. "We have a lot of people who are travelingand some people who are celebrating the end of final exams. I'dlike everyone to please take a moment to pay our respects to thefamilies of those who have been killed." ___ Associated Press writer Nick Perry contributed to this story fromWellington, New Zealand; AP writer Rodrique Ngowi contributed fromBoston. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Induction Heat Treatment Machine , Induction Pipe Heater for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Induction Brazing Machine.
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