A Penn State student died from her injuries while six other students were hurt following a crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Sunday afternoon.
Penn State News reports Vitalya "Tally" Sepot, a 19-year-old sophomore at the school from Branford, Connecticut, as well as six other students were traveling westbound on the Turnpike in Charlestown Township, Chester County. The students were returning from a trip to solicit donations for THON, a student-run philanthropy that organizes an annual dance marathon for Penn State.
As the vehicle was traveling near milepost 319, the driver somehow lost control and crashed. Sepot, who was a passenger, died from her injuries. The six other students were taken to Paoli Hospital. Officials have not yet revealed their conditions.
Sepot was majoring in graphic design and was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. The surviving victims were also members of Alpha Chi Omega as well as the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, according to the Penn State News.
"The Penn State community and all who know the good work done through student involvement in THON are deeply saddened by this tragedy," Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs told Penn State News. "Our hopes are with the students injured, whose release from the hospital we are eager to see, but our hearts are with Tally's family and friends, whose terrible loss we mourn."
The other students involved were Victoria Barrett, 18, from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania; Sarah Bixby, 18, from Flemington, New Jersey; Claire Fountas, 19, from Barrington, Illinois; Matthew Hrynkow, 20, from Annandale, Virginia; Brooke Kalodner, 18, from Voorhees, New Jersey; and Max Titlebaum, 20, from Merion Station, Pennsylvania, according to the university.
Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) unit will hold counseling sessions for students, according to school officials. Students can also call the CANHELP crisis line at 1-800-643-5432.
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Officials continue to investigate the cause of the accident but say no other vehicles were involved.
Westbound lanes on the Turnpike were closed at the Valley Forge Interchange (326) for several hours due to the crash. They were later reopened around 5:45 p.m.
