Multiple College Students Killed Or Injured In Coastal Maine Crash

According to a press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety, four students from the Maine Maritime Academy for killed, and three others were injured in an early Saturday morning crash in Castine.

The press release explains that at just after 2 AM on Saturday, December 10th, first responders arrived at the scene of a single vehicle crash on Shore Road (also known as Route 166).  It appeared that the vehicle, a 2013 Range Rover, had left the road and struck a tree.  It then burst into flames.

Four of the vehicle's occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.  They were identified as 20-year-old Brian Kenealy of York, Maine, 21-year-old Chase Fossett of Gardiner, Maine, 22-year-old Luke Simpson of Rockport, Massachusetts, 20-year-old Riley Ignacio-Cameron of Aquinnah, Massachusetts.

The other three occupants of the vehicle were taken to a nearby hospital.  They have been identified as the driver of the vehicle, 20-year-old Joshua Goncalves-Radding of North Babylon, NY, and passengers 20-year-old Noelle Tavares of North Falmouth, Massachusetts and 20-year-old Dominick Gecoya of Middleton, Massachusetts.

On Saturday afternoon, the Maine Maritime Academy released a statement regarding the crash.  It read, in part:

Our hearts and prayers go out to all students and their families at this time. Our priority now is to support our campus community and have made counseling available. As the President of Maine Maritime, and also as a father, I ask for your respect and privacy for all of our students.

Police continue to investigate the crash and we can expect a full report once their investigation has been concluded.

Our thoughts go out to all those involved.

The Maine Maritime Academy was established in 1941 with the goal of training Maine's youth in naval fields.  These include engineering, piloting / ship operations, logistics, and the business of marine fields.