Four Maine Maritime Academy students were killed Saturday when their vehicle crashed and caught fire on Route 166 in Castine, according to Maine State Police. Three other students were injured.
Police say a 2013 Range Rover driven by Joshua Goncalves-Radding of North Babylon, New York, was heading south on Route 166 when it left the road and struck a tree, erupting into flames.
“Four passengers in the vehicle were pronounced dead and taken to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta,” according to a Maine State Police statement.
Police identified those who died as Brian Kenealy, 20, of York; Chase Fossett, 21, of Gardiner; Luke Simpson, 22, of Rockport, Massachusetts; and Riley Ignacio-Cameron of Aquinnah, Massachusetts.
Three other Maine Maritime students were sent to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, including the driver, Goncalves-Radding; Noelle Tavares, 20, of North Falmouth, Massachusetts; and Dominick Gecoya, 20, of Middleton, Massachusetts.
“I am devastated to confirm that today Maine Maritime Academy lost four of our students in a single vehicle accident early this morning. Three others were injured,” academy president Jerry S. Paul said in a statement Saturday. “Our community is grieving for these young lives and for their families. While we have lost beloved members of our student body, tonight there are four families who have lost their children. … Please hold these young people close to your hearts and in your prayers.”
It’s unclear what led to the crash. A state police news release said a “full investigation is being conducted.” A section of Route 166 was closed for more than eight hours Saturday but has been reopened.
Maine Maritime Academy is a small, public college located on the coast in Castine. Roughly 1,000 students are enrolled in courses related to engineering, management, science and transportation, according to its website. Many graduates have gone on to work in the merchant marine, and as engineers, supply chain managers and scientists.
On Facebook, the Maine Maritime Academy Parents Association also acknowledged the crash.
“Academy leadership is working closely with authorities, and our top priority is supporting our school community in the hours and days ahead,” according to a post on the parents’ association website. Many offered condolences and prayers.
The school is making counseling services available on campus, and said it will post more information when it’s “appropriate to do so” on the school’s website. Paul added Saturday that as the school’s president and as a father, he asks “for your respect and privacy for all of our students.”
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