Four Adventist students die in car accident
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Pacific Union College community gathers to offer prayers, support |
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About 2,000 people gather in the Pacific Union College campus sanctuary November 20 for a memorial service for four students who died in an auto accident Saturday, November 15. Hundreds from around the country have written supportive comments on a tribute page on the school's Web site. [photo courtesy PUC]
Four Pacific Union College (PUC) students died in a car accident late Saturday night, November 15, after their vehicle swerved into oncoming traffic. The Napa County Sheriff's Department identified the victims as Boaz Pak, 20, Luke Nishikawa, 22, Simon Son, 19, and Chong Shin, 20.
The four men were riding in a car along a mountain road when they collided with an oncoming vehicle, police reports said. The men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The students' car struck a pickup truck; the driver was initially hospitalized for serious injuries but is now reported stable. The driver of a third vehicle involved in the accident is facing DUI charges, said the California Highway Patrol.
According to PUC's press release, the students had just finished playing basketball at the college gym and were on their way to get food. Police said the accident likely occurred because the students were driving over the speed limit.
Shin was involved in youth ministry at the Rohnert Park Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church. Son worked with the campus outreach group Homeless Ministries and had gone with a group of students to feed the homeless earlier that day.
"The PUC community mourns the loss of four wonderful young men who were already giving service back to the community," said Richard Osborn, college president. "Our entire campus is grieving along with their families. But as a faith-based college, we have hope that springs from our beliefs as we celebrate all these young men accomplished in their brief lives."
Grief counselors, residence hall deans, and the campus chaplain are currently providing assistance to all students on campus. On Sunday, the college offered support groups and one-on-one counseling for the campus community.
Nishikawa, from Honolulu, Hawaii, majored in American History. Pak, a biology and pre-pharmacy major, lived in Hidden Valley Lake, California. Son, also from Hidden Valley Lake, majored in nursing. Shin majored in business administration and pre-dentistry. He lived in Aloha, Oregon.
The college will hold a memorial service for the young men during a student body meeting on Thursday.
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