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Ford Taurus 俄州三名中国留学生在"飞来横祸"车祸中身亡
俄州三名中国留学生在"飞来横祸"车祸中身亡
根据美联社3月9日的报导,美国俄亥俄州春田(SPRINGFIELD)8日发生九辆车相撞的连环车祸,一辆SUV车在红灯前与另一辆轿车相撞后,冲至半空中并且压在另一辆车上方,造成车内三名來自中国大连大学留学生不幸身亡。
拒俄亥俄警方表示,此场连环车祸共九两车牵连其中,车祸开始於下午5时30分,包括SUV的四两车驾驶在车祸后被送往医院接受治疗,其馀七位受车祸波及的人则没有受伤。
警方人员正调查为何SUV驾驶在接近交通号志时并未停车,事发当时所有北向的车辆皆停在红灯前等待号志转绿;SUV驾驶则告诉警方,他患有癫痫症,但在这之前,他的癫痫症很少发作。
在SUV 与一车相撞後,SUV冲飞至半空中,落到另一辆轿车的後半部,导致车内(2002 Ford Taurus )两名坐在后座的女子死亡,此两名学生分别为24岁的冰雪(Bing Xue,音译)与24岁的严顺(Yan Sun,音译),在前方的驾驶,27岁的金边(Jin Bian,音译)也不幸身亡,三名都是从中国大连前往求学的学生.
报导指出,厄本纳大学(Urbana University)校长海德(Robert Head)表示,三名就读於该大学的中国留学生,於2006年三月入学,均进入企管研究所,海德说,该校目前共有30名来自中国的学生。
车祸后被送至Dayton市迈阿密谷医院(Miami Valley Hospital)的SUV驾驶,复原情况良好,其馀在医院的驾驶也无大碍,另有两名驾驶在事发后被送往春田市的莫西医学中心(Mercy Medical Center)接受治疗,9日已出院。
厄本纳大学校长海德表示,三名学生皆住在同一所校外公寓里,学校目前正在放春假。海德说,学校准备在下周举行一场追思会,同时也正筹备在校园内为三名学生设立一个纪念物。
“这几名学生对我们的社区来说非常、非常重要。”海德强调。“学校的研究所课程有这些中国来的学生加入,不只对他们深具意义,对其他与这些中国学生互动的同学来说,也是一样。
厄本纳大学是所私立文科大学,位於春田北方,拥有约1600名学生。春田市则在Dayton东北方约25英里处。
车祸现场视频连接>>
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/03/09/sns030907crashfolo.html
Three Urbana University students killed in nine-car crash
Three of the victims killed in Thursday evening's fatal car crash were international students from China at Urbana University.
Yan "Zoe" Sun and Bing "Jo" Xue, both 24, and Jin "Jack" Bian, 27, died in a 9-car pile-up at Moorefield Road and Urbana Road at 5:34 p.m.
All three were in Urbana University's Master of Business Administration program. They came to the university in March 2006 from Dalian City, China, and were slated to graduate in one year, university President Robert Head said.
Head said he was shocked when he was notified of the deaths by the Ohio State Highway Patrol at 10:30 Thursday night.
The three victims lived off campus in Urbana.
The university's contact in China notified the families of the victims, Head said.
Most students are away on spring break this week, but university officials and counselors met with many of the international students who remained.
A memorial service will be planned for next week when school is back in session. Counselors will be available for students and employees.
The university began recruiting students from mainland China for its MBA program about four years ago. The program currently has 30 Chinese students, Head said.
"They're all delightful young people," Head said. "They've been great additions to our campus, creating diversity from an international perspective."
Sun, Xue and Bian all belonged to the Cultural Awareness Organization and participated in a dinner on campus two weeks ago to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Head said.
Two drivers involved in the crash were flown by helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. Both were in stable condition Friday morning.
One was Jason Skaggs, 34, of Urbana. He was the driver of the 2001 Chevy Tahoe that set off a chain reaction of crashes.
According to the highway patrol, Skaggs was driving north on Urbana Road approaching the intersection of Moorefield Road.
Some vehicles on Moorefield Road were stopped at the red light, including the 2002 Ford Taurus occupied by Sun, Xue and Bian.
The Tahoe struck a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer and then a 2000 Chevy Impala, causing the Tahoe to go airborne and strike the rear of the Taurus.
One woman who was stopped at the red light on Moorefield Road said she heard the crash before she saw it coming.
"It sounded like a shot gun blast," said Leah Coy, 43, of Urbana.
Coy said she immediately told her two children to get down.
"I was sitting at the red light and it just turned green and I hadn't even taken my foot off the brake," she said.
In her rear view mirror she saw that a car had hit her. In front of her, she saw a blue sport utility vehicle fly past and hit surrounding cars.
"It happened so fast," she said. "We were one of the lucky ones that didn't get hurt."
When things slowed down she got out of her car and tried to calm a man in an SUV who appeared to be trapped under his dash.
Vehicles and occupants involved included:
1) 2002 Ford Taurus — Sun, Xue and Bian.
2) 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe — Jason Skaggs, 34, of Urbana.
3) 1999 Chrysler 300M — Carolyn Davis, 59, of Springfield. Careflighted to Miami Valley Hospital, stable condition.
4) 2000 Mercury Mountaineer — Driver Dale Johnson, 54, and occupant Connie Warren, of Springfield. No reported injuries.
5) 2000 Chevrolet Impala — Vanessa S. Bruce, 35, of Urbana. Mercy Medical Center, stable condition.
6) 1993 Buick Skylark — Driver Leah Coy, 43, and occupants Kyle Casdorph and Kallie Coy, both 14. All are from Urbana. No reported injuries.
7) 2004 Chrysler Sebring — Lisa D. Adams, 50, of Urbana. No injuries.
8) 1994 Crown Victoria — Jonathan K. Wilkerson, 41, of Springfield. Mercy Medical Center.
9) 2001 Ford F-150 — Elizabeth Schnidel, 45, of Conover. No injuries.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Kenneth Kocab said the wreck was the largest crash that wasn't weather related that the highway patrol has handled in Clark County in at least 10 years.
Skaggs told investigators he couldn't remember what happened to cause the accident.
Kocab could not confirm or deny other media reports that Skaggs suffers from epilepsy, saying that he cannot discuss medical information.
Springfield News-Sun Staff Writer LaToya Thompson contributed to this report. |
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