Five Students Injured in N.H. Car Crash

Five members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship (HRAACF) were injured—one critically—late Friday afternoon while traveling to a group retreat in New Hampshire.

Melissa Chu ’02, a resident of Eliot House, remains in critical condition at Boston Medical Center (BMC) as of midnight Saturday, according to a hospital administrator.

However, the hospital would not release information on Chu’s specific injuries.

Jennifer Y. Cho ’01-’02, a resident of Adams House, was also seriously injured in the accident. She remains in fair condition at Portsmouth (N.H.) Regional Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor at the hospital. The nature of her injuries was also unavailable from the hospital

The three other crash victims—Lee S. Chung ’04 of Mather House, Faith Chyou ’03 of Adams House and Jerry Y. Lee ’04 of Winthrop House—were transported to Exeter (N.H.) Hospital with less serious injuries.

Chung suffered a hip fracture, Chyou suffered a broken wrist and Lee suffered a sprained ankle, said Jimmy Quach ’98, an advisor for HRAACF.

Chyou and Lee were both released Friday evening from the hospital, Quach said. He added Chung is likely to be released Saturday.

The accident occurred at 4:23 p.m. on northbound Interstate 95 in Hampton Falls, N.H.—just over the state line from Massachusetts—according to New Hampshire State Police Trooper Dan Nedham.

The car carrying the Harvard students spun on ice and crashed into a tractor-trailer truck also heading north, Nedham said. He said the truck attempted to avoid the car, but to no avail.

According to Nedham, all the victims were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

Icy roads caused several accidents Friday afternoon, though this was the most serious on Interstate 95 this afternoon. he added.

The accident victims—members of the HRAACF music team—were heading to Camp Maranatha in New Durham, N.H., as part of the HRAACF winter retreat. The victims left Cambridge before the bulk of the group’s members in order to set up for the conference.

The main contingent of HRAACF, who traveled by bus, arrived safely at the camp.

After being released from the hospital, both Chyou and Lee were driven to the retreat.

Members of HRAACF’s sister Christian fellowship group, the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship (HRCF), were distraught upon hearing the news of the accident.

“We’re trusting that God cares for them,” said Andrew P. Olson ’02, HRCF vice president. “God loves them...we’re trusting them into His hands. That’s our prayer.”

—Andrew S. Holbrook and Claire A. Pasternack contributed to the reporting to the story.

—Staff writer Daniel P. Mosteller can be reached at dmostell@fas.harvard.edu.