3 students die in New Zealand
5 others from Boston University study-abroad program hurt in crash
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Three Boston University students who were studying in New Zealand were killed Saturday when their minivan crashed. At least five other students from the university were injured in the accident, including one who was in critical condition.
The students were traveling in a minivan about 7:30 a.m. Saturday near the North Island vacation town of Taupo when the vehicle drifted to the side of the road and then rolled when the driver tried to correct course, New Zealand police said.
Three of the students died at the scene, police said. Another woman was in critical condition at an area hospital, while at least four other students suffered moderate injuries.
Boston University spokesman Colin Riley said the deceased students were Daniela Lekhno, 20, of Manalapan, N.J.; Roch Jauberty, 21, whose parents live in Paris; and Austin Brashears, 21, of Huntington Beach, Calif. New Zealand police confirmed their identities.
Another student, Margaret Theriault, was airlifted from the crash site to a hospital in Taupo and was in critical condition, the university said.
All the students except Theriault were enrolled in a Boston University studyabroad program in Auckland, the college’s website said. Theriault was enrolled in a study-abroad program in Sydney.
Brashears’ mother, Julie, told The Boston Globe that he frequently posted new photos on Facebook documenting his adventures in New Zealand, including bungee-jumping off the Auckland Harbor Bridge on his birthday. She said he planned weekend outings for the study-abroad group.
“Everyone called him the cruise director,” she said. “He wanted to include everybody on the trips. He loved having an eclectic group of friends.”
Student body president Howard Male, a friend of Brashears, said the Boston University students had posted Facebook updates in anticipation of the trip, saying they hoped to view scenery captured on film in the Lord of the Rings movies.
“They were all so excited to be able to go explore what many guidebooks ... have called some of the most beautiful places on the planet,” Male said.
Sixteen students were traveling in two minivans, on their way to hike the Tongariro Crossing, a famous trek rated as one of the most spectacular in New Zealand. The hike crosses a volcanic crater in the central part of North Island.
None of the eight students in the second van was injured. Seven of those eight students were also from Boston University.
Kevin Taylor, a police official, said it was not clear why the van drifted to the side of the road. He said some of the students were thrown from the vehicle.
Study-abroad program executive director Bernd Widdig called the students’ deaths an “unprecedented tragedy,” the worst to hit the program since it began in the 1980s.
About 250 students, faculty members and well-wishers gathered in Boston on Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil for the victims.
Brashears’ girlfriend, junior Tori Pinheiro, cried at the vigil as she recalled how friendly he was and how much she loved him. She said he recently had left her a voice mail saying he missed her and she has been playing it repeatedly.
University President Robert Brown called the students’ deaths “a horrible tragedy” and said in an online statement his “prayers go out to the students and their families.”