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Bizuayehu Tesfaye / AP
Boston University students including Tori Pinheiro, third right, of New Bedford, Mass., and Austin Brashears' girlfriend, holds a candlelight vigil on Marsh Plaza at Boston University, Saturday, May 12, in Boston, for three students studying in New Zealand who were killed when their minivan crashed during a weekend trip. Daniela Lekhno, 20, of Manalapan, N.J.; Austin Brashears, 21, of Huntington Beach, Calif.; and Roch Jauberty, 21, whose parents live in Paris, were killed as they traveled in a minivan 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.
Bizuayehu Tesfaye / AP
Boston University student Blake Wrobbel, of Los Angeles, right, gets emotional during the vigil.
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."
-- Reported by the Associated Press
John Cowpland / New Zealand Herald via AP
Police and fire crew examine the scene of the accident near Turangi, New Zealand, Saturday, May 12.
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No seat belts again and young people die. I think that before you get your license you should have to watch two hours of Formula One Racing and NASCAR racing wrecks. Then have them tell you which driver didn't have a set belt on. 99.9% of all the wrecks in these two competitions survive their 180 + mile per hour crashes because of seat belts. Why is it so hard to get this point through to drivers. Making it the law doesn't help. This is something wrong in the head of these people. This has to be a conscious decision ever time you get in a car driving or not. I am so sorry for these people that died and my prayers go out to heir friends and family.
Not suprized, The roads in New Zealand are terribly designed and just inviting an accident. They are narrow with short passing lanes.
Maybe if the Kiwi's learned to use a bulldozer instead of all the money of environmental assessments this would not happen.
Condolences to the families involved.
Maybe if the kids had been wearing their seat belts, this wouldn't have happened. New Zealand roads are no worse than many others even in the rural part of Colorado where I am - but a van full of young people not wearing seat belts with an inexperienced driver driving a vehicle with right hand drive on the left hand side of the road, and you have a recipe for tragedy.
My condolences to the young people's families. Studying abroad is supposed to be life-enhancing, not life-ending.
Simply tragic, a huge investment of money and love, in these young people, and their lives ended, such a shame. I hope the families and friends of these beautiful youngsters can, celebrate their short lives and move on for those that were lost, sincere condolences for sure....
God bless these young souls that have passed unto him.
Sorry for the families. Why are we mourning and why is this a story in the USA? No NATO summit in Boston this weekend? Finals must be over. Support our troops instead.
Probably because they were American students? Just throwing it out there.
Obviously not wearing seatbelts. Sad, as it looks survivable otherwise.
yes terrible roads by the photo i see "no marked lines on the road, very windy" im from new zealand and the roads are fine just a very unfortunate thing happened, My condolences
what a pity, so young life pass away