Three Wayne State University students died and another was left critically injured in a crash near campus during the early hours of Monday, March 16, according to university officials.
Police were called about 1:30 a.m. to the area of Temple Street and Cass Avenue in Midtown for a crash in which a vehicle struck a parked truck, Detroit Police Department Cpl. Dan Donakowski told the Free Press.
In an email to students and faculty, Wayne State President Richard Bierschbach and Board of Governors Chair Bryan Barnhill II, confirmed that those involved in the crash were members of the university community.
“Our current understanding is that the accident took the lives of three Wayne State students,” the university officials wrote. “Another WSU student was seriously injured in the crash and is receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.”
The university said its Dean of Students Office was contacting the students’ families and that no additional details would be released out of respect for them.
“We grieve with the families, friends, faculty and classmates of those who were lost, and we send our strength to the injured student and their loved ones,” according to the university email. “Grief and loss impact each of us differently, and a tragedy like this can be an incredibly difficult moment for many members of our university community.”
Bierschbach and Barnhill urged members of the campus community to support one another and seek help if needed:
“Please keep the families and loved ones affected by this tragedy in your thoughts,” Bierschbach and Barnhill wrote in the email.
Free Press reporter Darcie Moran contributed to this report.
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wayne State confirms 3 students dead and 1 injured in Midtown crash
Reporting by Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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