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One UNH student is dead and two others were injured after a two-car accident on Route 9 in Stoddard, N.H., on Saturday.
Sophomore Justine Erunski was killed after the car she was driving crossed over the yellow center line and collided with a car in the opposite lane shortly before 1 p.m. Erunski was pronounced dead on the scene. She was 20 years old.
Injured in the crash were Erunski's roommates and UNH juniors Jocelyn Lubniewski of Davidsonville, Md., and Jenny Provo of Nantucket, Mass., as well as Erunski's mother Kelly. Lubniewski and Provo were upgraded from serious to stable condition at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center on Monday. Kelly Erunski was listed in critical condition on Monday evening.
Erunski and company were traveling to Keene's annual Pumpkin Festival when the accident occurred. A portion of Route 9 was closed for hours following the accident. State police are still investigating the accident. According to the Keene Sentinal, the accident occured after Erunski swerved onto the grass on the right side of the highway, overcorrected and entered the eastbound lane.
Justine Erunski was a nutritional science major and an employee at Breaking New Grounds in downtown Durham. She graduated from Keene High School in 2006 and was a member of her high school's swim team.
On Monday, Erunski was remembered fondly by her co-workers at Breaking New Grounds, where she had worked since October 2007.
"She was just always happy, always in a good mood," said Sue Fardy, a co-worker of Erunski. "I know it sounds cliché, but she had he sweetest personality of anyone."
"She's going to be really, really missed," said Amanda Gaughan, another co-worker. "It hasn't really sunk in yet. She is the nicest person, always smiling. She was the best person here."
Regan Beauchamp, Justine's friend of two years and a resident assistant in Hunter Hall, also shared happy memories with TNH in an e-mail interview on Monday.
"Justine had an amazing sense of humor. I can't think of anyone quicker and wittier," wrote Beauchamp. "She was also an extremely hard worker. She spent many long nights in the library doing chemistry.
"While Justine loved people and loved being around her friends, she could carry herself well by herself with a great deal of confidence. She had a hard time keeping her eyes open for pictures - we teased her about it. But she was never without a smile."
On Sunday, the university released a statement in response to the tragedy.
"All of us at UNH extend our sympathy to Justine's family and friends," said Kim Billings, the UNH spokesperson. "Our thoughts also go out to her mother and our two students who were injured. It is a somber day at UNH."
Flags at UNH were flown at half-staff on Sunday in honor of Justine.
The fifth floor of the Gables' B Tower was also quiet on Monday and no one responded to knocks at the door of Room 505, where Erunski, Lubniewski and Provo were roommates.
As of Monday afternoon, memorial plans for Erunski were still unclear, as her mother was still admitted to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Spokespeople for the hospital couldn't comment on her condition, as she didn't consent to have information released.
UNH Chaplain and Executive Director Larry Brickner-Wood said on Monday an on-campus memorial will probably wait until after a family memorial. He did say some small groups may hold memorial vigils during the week and the Waysmeet Center at 15 Mill Road is available to help plan events in honor of Justine.
On a personal note, Brickner-Wood said he knew Erunski personally and many people at UNH will miss her.
"She was a wonderful person, and she had different circles of friends," said Brickner-Wood. "I think that a lot of people knew her but don't know each other and that many people are going to be connected in remembering her."
A memorial of sorts has also begun on Erunski's Facebook page, which is open to public viewing. Friends and acquaintances have been leaving personal messages there as the news spread through the student community at UNH and beyond.
"I don't even know where to begin," wrote one friend. "I miss you so much and love you more than words can even say. You're one of a kind and you've left something big in a lot of hearts."
"I could not have made it through Alg 3 the first time or the second time without you," wrote another. "You made it worth going to class everyday because you had such a bright personality."
Others were more simple, but equally poignant.
"Rest in peace Justine," one friend wrote, "we miss you."
The university's crisis intervention team met Sunday morning to begin identifying classmates, friends and professors who knew the victims, according to Billings. Students who feel they need counseling should contact the UNH Counseling Center at 8 Garrison Ave. or call 862-2090. The Counseling Center and the Waysmeet Center can provide spiritual and emotional support and other resources to grieving friends and classmates.
The driver of the other vehicle in Saturday's crash, Jospeh Almeida of Deerfield, suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough, according to state police.
One of his passengers, Brianna Frost, 19, of Concord, suffered non-life threatening injuries. Another passenger, Ryan Whatmough, 20, of Deerfield, was uninjured.
The university plans to issue a media release when memorial plans are finalized.
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