4 Students at Maine Maritime Academy Killed in Fiery SUV Crash, School in 'Great State of Pain'

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Four students from Maine Maritime Academy were killed and three others were injured following a fiery SUV crash early Saturday morning.

The group of seven is believed to have been traveling south on Shore Road in Castine when the 2013 Range Rover “left the road and struck a tree before erupting in flames,” according to Maine Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Shannon Moss.

The victims have been identified as two young men from Maine — Brian Kenealy, 20, of York, and Chase Fossett, 21, of Gardiner — and two from Massachusetts — Luke Simpson, 22, Rockport, and Riley Ignacio-Cameron, 20, of Aquinnah.

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Jerry S. Paul, President Maine Maritime Academy,confirmed the students' deaths and injuriesin a statement shared Saturday evening.

“Our community is grieving for these young lives and for their families,” he said of the college’s community. “Please hold these young people close to your hearts and in your prayers.”

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At the event, Paul said the school’s community is"in a great state of pain,“The Bangor Daily Newsreported.

“We are working our way through it,” Paul told the crowd, per the outlet. “We’ve begun our way through, but we have a long, long way to go.”

Paul also remembered each student individually, per theDaily News, which reported that Fossett was an international business and logistics major; Kenealy was a marine transportation operations major; and both Simpson and Ignacio-Cameron were vessel operations and technology majors.

Ignacio-Cameron was a member of the Wampanoag tribe, and Kenealy was a member of the men’s soccer team, he added.

Counseling services have been made available on the Main Maritime campus in wake of the tragic accident, the school said in Saturday’s statement.

An investigation into the crash is underway. Moss tells PEOPLE that the investigation “could take weeks if not months to complete.”

Maine State Police have custody of the vehicle involved in the crash, Moss adds. The SUV will be examined as part of the investigation.

source: people.com