E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSUpdated at 1:30 p.m. ET: Three Boston University students were killed and five others hospitalized in New Zealand on Saturday when their minivan veered and then rolled over several times.
Joseph Bergen, the U.S. vice consul in Auckland, identified the deceased as Daniela Lekhno, Roch Jauberty and Austin Brashears, according to Boston University.
Of the five hospitalized, a 21-year-old woman was in critical condition at Rotorua Hospital, the New Zealand Herald reported. Two other women aged 20 and 21 were in stable condition there and a 21-year-old woman and 21-year-old man were treated and discharged at Taupo Hospital, the Herald said.
The families of all students in the accident were informed, police said.
The injured are Stephen Houseman, Alys McAlpine, Emily Melton, Kathy Moldawer and Margaret Theriault, Boston University stated.
Lekhno was from Manalapan, N.J., Brashears from Huntington Beach, Calif., and Jauberty's parents live in Paris, the university added.
Police said the students were traveling in the minivan at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET Friday) near the North Island vacation town of Taupo when the vehicle drifted to the side of the road and then rolled.
"The driver appears to have corrected, or over corrected, and the vehicle started to roll and then cartwheeled down the road," police inspector Kevin Taylor told reporters.
John Cowpland / New Zealand Herald via AP
Eight Boston University students were in this minivan when it crashed near Turangi, New Zealand, on Saturday.
The students were reportedly headed for Tongariro National Park, where they were planning to hike the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
A second vehicle carrying more Boston University students and a student from another American university was traveling behind the first in convoy.
Those in the second vehicle "are traumatized ... and don't wish to speak to media," New Zealand police said in a statement.
Watch world news videos on msnbc.com
Police could not confirm if the students had been wearing seat belts but said that some had been thrown from the vehicle, indicating that might have been the case, Taylor said.
"This is a horrible tragedy," Boston University President Robert Brown said in a statement. "Our prayers go out to the students and their families. We will do all we can to provide comfort and assistance to those who have been injured, and to the families and friends of the victims."
Two of the students who died were studying at the University of Auckland and the other was at the Auckland University of Technology, the Boston Globe reported.
The head of University of Auckland's study abroad program told the Globe he believed 47 Boston University students were enrolled there.
More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Bad neighbors for Team USA? Occupy camp axed
- WWII fighter plane found preserved in Sahara Desert
- Egypt's first televised presidential debate is a hit
- 88,000-mile voyage? Plastic card found after 33 years
- Hell-raising holy men: Boozy monks caught gambling
- Sources: Spy who uncovered underwear bomb plot is a Brit
- Video: Murder and corruption scandal rocks China
- In debt or jobless, some Italians choose suicide
- Move over, Al Roker! Prince Charles becomes weatherman
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
Could not imagine anything worse to be told your loved one's have passed away thousands of kilometres from home. So sad for the loss of young lives and deepest sympathy to their families and friends. Our friends across the Tasman will do all they can to help the families and they will treat them with dignity and respect. Rest easy the families in the US, your loved ones are now in safe and good hands in these darkest of hours. Blessings to all from across the Pacific.
What a kind and thoughtful sentiment. I will second your beautiful words.
"So shines a good deed in a weary world..."
Thanks Shona1
Thank you Shona1, from the other side of the Pacific. I am 60 years old and have did my share of traveling when I was young and for all the close calls I may have had on the road nothing like this ever happened to me. I have two children and the thought of not being able to be there for them in a situation like this is just so far out there that it leaves me with little to say. God bless these young people and their families and God Bless all the good citizens of your country that were there for the injured and those that passed. In my earlier years traveling in Europe I had the good fortune on several occasions to travel with folks from New Zealand and they are a fine lot to move with. God Bless you.
Morning Andres..I am actually an Australian but our "cousins" the Kiwi's will take care of your people as if they were their own...Don't often hear of multiple road fatalities in NZ let alone all from one country....and as I said when they are so far from home...what a shock for their poor families....God bless you to...
sending blessings and surrounding everyone in light... peace and prayers
@ shona1 ~ That brought tears to my eyes! I imagine my son so far away and involved in such a tragic event..... To know there are people like you out there is the only thing that would spare my heart the full weight of grief.
Thank you.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those killed and injured. Nothing can be more painful then the loss of one's children. Bless them all
Right before Mother's Day. Devastating!
Condolences and sympathy to the families of all those young people...so far from home...I can't imagine the feelings their loved ones must be going through. God bless you all.
A damn shame - I read this book called something like "The most dangerous places on earth" The author's conclusion was that the roads of about any 3rd world country (I know New Zealand ain't one) were more dangerous than being an infidel in the Casbah. Poor families and friends .... peace to alll.
Since New Zealand is not a third word country what does your comment have to do with anything??
Sounds to me like you were just trying to be funny with your "infidel" joke. Please, get real, this is a time of sadness, not a time for you to show off your (dim) wit.
WHO was driving? This doesn't sound like they hired a local driver. If you take a group anywhere, hire a local driver - they've seen everything so many times that they keep their eyes on the road and they aren't easily distracted. Our group would have never made it out of the Middle East without one.
Sad that this had to happen like this: I feel for the families who were probably expecting photographs of a different sort.
So - Ronald HR: do you think that sheep shrink when it rains? Just curious....
Nine adults in a minivan won't stick in any maneuver on any road.
If I read this correctly it would appear the van was overloaded with eight or more people and some were not wearing seat belts. An accident waiting to happen?
I agree with Alex, not only would the driver, being American, not be familiar with the roads and terrain, he would be driving on the left side of the road and therefore not as comfortable with driving on the left side of the road as a local New Zealander would be. Also as part of the party was probably involved in banter and sight seeing that distracts from his driving. A tragic loss of live.
Ulises - be xtra careful when travellling on foreign highways - difffernet road customs - diffferent roads. Sorry if sharing the benefits fo my experiences around the world offended you.
ronton: Oh please. You do know there are vans that have 2 bench seats along with the 2 front seats.
each bench seats 3 persons. However, does it really matter at this point in time if they were wearing seatbelts? It happened.
lives were lost and I certainly hope there isn't a tragedy in your family and you read thoughtless comments as you have posted.
My condolences go out the the family and friends of not only the deceased but the survivors as well.
I wonder if driving, unfamiliarly, on the left side of the road was a factor in the accident. My experience with it was, everything was alright when I stayed very alert. When a tight situation happened on the road, my instincts made it a little more difficult to make the correct avoidance decisions. This is just terrible for all concerned.
As someone who is currently in a Boston U study abroad program, I can tell you that we the students and the RAs are not allowed to operate motor vehicles. It's a university policy. The program I am on had a similar accident about 25 years ago, which did not result in fatalities for the students, but for the occupants of another car. A former housemate of mine was in the second van and all she told me was that the van swerved for some reason and then flipped over 3 or 4 times and people and things were flying out of it looking like fireworks. Other than that she wouldn't tell me anything else other than that she was ok.
New Zealand has wonderful roads, well graded with no potholes. Although New Zealanders drive on the opposite side of the road from us, the roads are fairly easily driven, mostly because there is not that much traffic. But, the roads can be narrow; and many, as we can see from the photo in the article have a gravel shoulder. This scenario is a common cause of accidents. I almost had one myself many years back, driving on a country road with a gravel shoulder here in the States. When the wheels on one side of a vehicle go off onto a gravely shoulder, the impulse is to turn the wheel immediately to get back on the pavement. Since the surfaces are different in terms of traction, this results in overcorrection. The right approach is to first ease off the accelerator, then gently brake, then, at a very slow speed, steer the entire vehicle back onto the road. This is something people need to get into their brain BEFORE the situation arises, but I do not recall ever having been taught it in driver's training. I know it now based on my first experience and the second time it happened (when I had to go partly onto the gravel shoulder to avoid an idiot passing over a double line), I knew what to do. Condolences to the families.
Local drivers are not always the safest way to go. 18 of us (Americans) traveled to Thailand to scuba dive. We traveled in 2 vans. The 2nd van was no more than 20' off of the 1st vans rear bumper for over 50 miles. We traveled at 60 MPH or more for most of that distance. We made it OK but noted several accidents to other vehicles.
Auto accidents can happen anywhere. Just because your on vacation doesn't mean it can't happen. New Zealand benefits greatly from tourism and surely does everything to deter such events. Condolences to the families.
Texting?
Probably not...just got onto the gravel shoulder with one side of the car and overcorrected. Tragic.
If they weren't wearing seat belts, that is likely why some of them were ejected from the vehicle, a common occurrence in rollovers when passengers or drivers are not wearing them. It being some kind of mini-van, I don't know if it had seat belts, or if it did, was it possibly overloaded. These are questions that need to be answered, but unfortunately it will not bring any of them back. Sad all the way around, especially if this was avoidable by seat belt use. My condolences to the families, and I cannot imagine how they feel. But I think I know how I would feel.
My Mommy you are a fool or a tool. shut up with the self righteous seat belt talk, tens of thousands of people die every year safely belted in their seats. Your blame the victim bull is just what the families want to hear right now, NOT.
Sad day for these folks.
It sounds like the driver was probably distracted. When he/she started to drift off the road someone in the van probably noticed it and yelled startling the driver and causing them to jerk the wheel sending the vehicle into the roll.
Heyseed, take your own advice. If you want someone to shut up, shut up yourself or go try pissing up a rope.
Heyseed,
The minivan roof and structure looks pretty much intact. If the passengers were wearing the seatbelts, they'd have been just shaken, but not thrown out and killed.
Nobody expects an accident, but when it happens, you better be wearing your seatbelt. Ask any EMT.
Heyseed,
Its rare when it would be in favor of the person to not be restrained by a seatbelt. I've heard but a handful of stories where the occupants would have died had they been restrained.
Seatbelts do save lives. But here's the kicker. Some can snap loose, and even if you are wearing them, well not anymore. It depends on how well they were made. Trust me. I lost control of my car, and started getting thrown around, my buckle released my belt, and if I had flipped, well who knows what would have happened.
Anyway, to the families, so sorry for your loss. It's hard to loose someone you love so dearly, especially when they are thousands of miles away. Praying for peace and comfort.
after 24 years in EMS seatbelts are not all that and a cup of tea, they kill as many if not more than save....Just too bad had to even bring them into this.....crashes happen everyday.
what gets me is (and see others saying thing) why front page news? ......only makes it worst for the families....why must the Media be so cruel and heartless. Seems like just here in the states, worried about gore not Families feelings
Blessings to the families and friends....sorry for your lost.
hal-1016688 If you have been in EMS for 24 years you wouldn't make that statement. There are countless studies and statistics that say that seatbelts do save lives. Yes, there are some crashes that seatbelts don't save a life or someone is ejected and lives due to not wearing a seatbelt, but those are exceptions rather than the rule.
Don't spread false information. You may be the reason someone dies.
http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/DriverSafety/Pages/SeatBelts.aspx
Seat belts do save live, and sometimes they kill as well. Statistically your odd are better with one than without, but sometimes not. My best friend was once in a very bad rollover accident and was not wearing his seat belt, he was ejected through the sunroof of the vehicle. He survived with very minor injuries. The car, after the accident, was crushed on the drivers side to the point the roof line was below the steering column. The clearance between the roof and the drivers seat was approximately eight inches. Had he been wearing his seat belt he would have died, no question. So yes, sometimes wearing your seat belt is more dangerous than than not wearing it. The question is; Why are we forced to wear our seat belts whether we want to or not? The choice should be up to the individual, not the police. BTW - The answer to that question is simple, insurance company lobbyists.
Sometimes people jump out of airplanes and their parachutes don't open and they survive. Not often, but sometimes. So, because occasionally people have survived with no chute then this is a justifiable reason to say , "Hey I have heard that you don't need a chute to skydive".........
Actually you don't. If you only plan on skydiving once............
Me, I'm thinking they would have greatly improved their odds of survival wearing the belt verses sitting on it.
Thank God it didn't happen in Mexico this time because if it had, the Mexico bashing feeding frenzy would be in full swing by now!
But you found it necessary to bring up Mexico why? in hopes of starting a frenzy? Go away troll.
I brought it up to make a point. Do you have reasoning skills? And you're no one to tell me to go anywhere.
The only point you made was that you wanted to bring a race issue into a story about a tragic accident where in no way could race have anything to do with the story. And I am someone who can tell you to go anywhere I feel like telling you to go, don't like it, tough, you're a troll who wants to start a racial slandering thread. Go away Troll!
While I'm uncomfortable with him bringing race (Mexico, in this case), I do understand why he might think that. Every time, and I mean EVERY SINGLE time there is some horrific tragedy and the victims are of an ethnic minority, the message boards light up with the most absurd racist comments known to man. As an example, if the young folks who died in this horrible tragedy were, say, BU African-American students, somehow it would've been their fault because they "might've been listening to rap music or eating fried chicken" OR that "Those homey's can't drive for sh*t" or some totally absurd, stereotypical crap. But whenever the victims are Anglo/Caucasian/White, the comments are always sympathetic and with heartfelt compassion for their families, as they should be. But any loss of life is terrible and I should think that ANY tragedy would garner the sympathy of most people without bringing race into the equation. I believe that's why Ulises-1077669 brought it up. Race is always brought into a story when the victims are non-white.
Um, race? What race? Mexico/Mexican isn't a race. It is a country/nationality.
One of the girls must have been texting and driving
Three people died - let's not point fingers or make assumptions at this point.
As if "boys" don't also text and drive. Nerf, your comment needs to be deleted, not just collapsed, for being inappropriate at a time when people have died.
Thoughts and prayers with these families. What a tragedy.
Condolences to the families of the dead and injured students.
If they were not wearing seat belts, then why not????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
As a former NZ Police Officer now living in the US, I can confirm that any seat in any vehicle occupied by a passenger or driver must have seat belts installed and those belts must be used. The New Zealand People take failure to wear seat belts seriously which usually carries an instant monetary fine of $150 each offense issued to both driver and passenger, along with the incurring demerit points upon ones license. Unfortunately in this case the penalty 'may' have been much more substantial.
Families of the deceased and injured can rest assured that their loved ones will be treated professionally and with respect. Excellent medical care is available to all those in need by reportedly the worlds best experts.
Isn't 9 people a lot to have crammed in a minivan?
I think the bigger issue here is that the driver had no clue as to how to go about 'correcting' the path the vehicle was taking. If the vehicle you are driving is veering off the road you DO NOT try to get it back onto the road. The combination of curb and gravel will cause a roll. What you do is slow the vehicle down and maintain as straight a line as possible. Now, did a tire blow out or was the driver distracted?
Were the dead females?Sounds like they are under aged.Under my age,get it?
May god give the family and friends the strength to go through this really tough time now and for all the time to come as I am sure he will!!!
Not to be rude but.... How in the hell this makes news? Im just saying privilege kids might be the reason.
Hailhopes
You are rude. It's news because studying abroad is becoming more and more common, and not just for privileged kids. There are plenty of scholarships, and it's usually no more expensive than a semester in the US.
My daughter just came back from a semester in Australia, and I knew if anything happened to her, I could not get there for 2 days. It's hard enough to send your kids off to another state to college, but when they want to go halfway around the globe, parents worry.
A group of her friends rented minivans to drive around in for spring break. They had to pay extra to be able to drive at night and for kangaroo insurance. They ended up hitting a cow, and totaling the van, but no one was hurt except the cow.
I can only imagine the heartbreak these parents are feeling, especially on Mother's Day.
hailhopes.........how could you say that about these American Diplomats....It's REAL NEWS if I have heard any...I guarantee you many New Zealanders met Americans for the first time in these kids and they represented well I am sure. My prayers go out to the parents of these kids and the pedestrians as well. Let those clinging on make it through. Let us never be detatched from the American abroad.
Being abroad for the first time is like learning to swim for the first time. You are scared as much as you are excited. Different language, customs, street signs, rules of the road, speeds, etc. Its really a lot to absorb and no time for learning. You have to jump right in. Another thing you would be suprised, who was really priveleged among these type of groups a lot of times parents and organizations sponsor through scholarships and grants for kids to study abroad as well, so dont go flapping about information that YOU are not PRIVY too.
American Diplomats? Now that's a stretch. College kids on a bike trip.
Hailhopes just has to make it rich vs poor, when he/she has no way of knowing the balance in their bank accounts. Poor pitiful Hailshope, some one may have a dollar more than Hailhopes. Is that your race card?
Halihopes... what a hateful, ignorant comment! I am sorry you resent folks who might have a little money. Rich or poor, these kids have moms and dads here in the U.S. who are hurting beyond belief right now. Glad to see you are such a sympatetic person. Your jealousy is ugly.
People, you cannot load a car with that much weight and expect it to maneuver. I hope we all learn from this.
9 adults did seem a bit much in 1 car.
Some of those foreign vans hold a lot of people... especially in the touristy areas.
I'll start by saying vans in New Zealand are really small.
The van here is probably a 1997 or so Toyota Estima or what was sold as a Previa in the States.
If it is the larger model it is built for 7 to 8 passengers but seeing as a great many of the cars in New Zealand are purchased second hand from Japan it may have been the smaller model the Japanese build for lower tax reasons.
I lived in NZ for quite a few years and was surprised by how small the vans over there were. I owned a Toyota mini van over there and I wouldn't have dreamed of trying to fit 9 people in. I owned the TownAce Royal lounge which was built for 7 which would entail sitting three across the front, the middle one on top of the engine cover, not something I would be willing to do seeing as there were really only two seats up front.
8 adults in a minivan. seems this vehicle was overloaded. Unfortunate.
If they were all over 200lbs each, including luggage, it probably did exceed the payload of the vehicle. Since five of them were women, that was probably not the case and they were within the payload limits of the vehicle.
9. Count the names. NSMBC got it wonked up again.
Jeanette, Were you absent during basic math? There are eight names listed. Three are fatalities and five are listed as injured. Eight adults in a mini van is too many, even if it has seating for eight.
Condolences to the families. When my daughter was in college and studied abroad in Australia for 6 months my biggest fear is that she would get hurt or sick and being half way around the world we would be too far away to be with her. Very scary as a parent.
One of my biggest fears about traveling abroad is renting a vehicle and driving since it's on the left side of the road. When my ex moved here from South Africa, there were a few times I'd have to say " Uh.. wrong side!" Perhaps they made the simple mistake of pulling into the wrong lane and then overcorrecting. Easy enough to do. Yet another reminder for all of us to enjoy each moment. There are a lot of hearts broken today because of this and my thoughts are with them.
WRONG SIDE was my first thought also..
I was thinking the same thing. US college students in New Zealand, pumped for a hike and possibly not thinking clearly in the morning. What a terrible tragedy this is and all due to a mistake while driving. I pray for them and their families.
Not all countries outside of the USA drive on the left side of the road, Syerra.
Gee, it happened at 7:30 am local time; do you suppose he might not have been 100% awake?
-------
I second many on here on giving their condolences to the family and friends of those killed. Its a horrible accident.
_____________
That being said, and it may not be the case here, but I wonder why it is that mini van drivers are such horrible drivers? I see it every day I am on the road. I try to avoid them as much as possible because you never know what the hell they are going to do. Usually they are driving way too slow, or asleep at an intersection, in the wrong lane, don't look where they are going, etc. Its at least twice as bad as any other type of vehicle on the road. This is all made worse when they are on their cell phone, blabbing away to someone about something meaningless that could wait until they got home. Stay off the damn phone folks! Nothing is that important. If you want to blab on the phone, pull over and stop in a parking lot! -- I don't know what it is. Its like when minivan drivers buy their minivan, the dealer forced them to take a mandatory course in "How to drive like and idiot".
It appears the rollover was not terribly destructive to the vehicle, and that the casualties were probably caused by the non-use of seat belts. Tragic.
What is wrong with some of you people ? Seriously "hailhopes" you are saying that because they were studying abroad they must be " privileged " and that is the reason the accident is being reported on ? And what does it matter whether they were female or male, over or under 21, local or non-local driver?
It is incredibly sad under any circumstances. My heart goes out to the families and also to the first responders at the scene. Accidents with this type of mass casualties create a ripple effect that go far outside the immediate families and change peoples life forever.
I'm not trying to sound like a d!ck here, and I whole heartedly feel for the victims family, but why is this particular minivan crash frontpage news? Anyone killed in any accident anywhere I think would be a nightmare to somebody. MSNBC is the lesser of three evils, but sometimes they can really suck it too. Why did this story gain national attention, and this one, and MANY others didn't ? Slow news day I guess. Not sure if my link will show up since MSNBC doesn't like traffic being driven away from their site....so I'm tricking it hopefully...
denverpost(dot)com/breakingnews/ci_17422469
Why don't you create a website of your own and report the news you think is important?
So witty! Shane! I wish I was you.
Seatbelt use might have kept those killed alive. Mnay people, especially the young, don't wear them as "it's not cool." It's too bad!
The problem is!
In America the driver sits in the left seat of the vehicle in Australia and New Zealand the driver
sits on the right side and it takes awhile for a person from America to condition them selves . I
was there for 3 months and had to rethink my driving practice . Great loss no matter what happened .
Don't let this story detour your thoughts on NewZealand and Australia its a must see and do in life . That
city called Perth Western Australia the most beautiful city I ever been to .
Danny - go back to school and learn to use proper punctuation and grammar, and how to spell correctly.
I would but I think I'm just a little to old but it's never held me back from getting ahead in life.
you got your point across just fine, Danny. I've also visited Perth (and Freo) and it is beautiful. I didn't drive there, but I did miss a bus waiting on the wrong side of the street.