San Juancito, Honduras – A trip to the airport turned deadly for an Orthodox Jewish student from New York who was among three women killed on Wednesday in Honduras.
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The woman has been identified as 21 year old Daniella Moffson from Manhattan.
The two other fatalities are 20 year old Olivia Varley Erhardt, also a Columbia University student, and 45 year old Abi Flanager, an American health care worker. According to CNN.
Yanky Meyer of Misaskim told VIN News that he had been informed that next of kin had been notified and that the medical examiner had agreed to forego an autopsy.
Meyer said that arrangements are being made to fly Moffson back home tomorrow for burial.
All three women were part of a group working with Global Brigades, an international non-profit agency that pairs university volunteers from North America and Europe with local groups to help disadvantaged communities improve their quality of life by meeting health and economic goals.
According to a statement released by Columbia University on their Facebook page, a group of medical and support personnel from Columbia are currently en route to Honduras in order to provide additional assistance to other passengers who were on the bus, which also included students from Columbia’s sister school, Barnard College.
Twelve more Americans were injured and are in stable condition according to Reinaldo Canales, administrator for the Valle de Angeles Adventist Hospital.
The crash took place on a highway east of the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. Officials reported that the bus was traveling from the town of San Juancito when it veered off a road and fell at least 260 feet into a ravine.
“Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to all those affected by this tragedy,” said the Global Brigades statement, attributed to co-founder Steven Atamian. Phone messages left at the organization’s headquarters in Seattle were not immediately returned.
The U.S. Embassy in Honduras said in a statement it was in close contact with local authorities and working to provide consular assistance to any who need it.
BD”E
Very sad.
So sorry forbthe family!
Bde…….. 🙁
Baruch Dayan Emes. May the holy neshamos of Daniella Moffson, Olivia Verley Ehrhardt, and Abi Flanager each rest blissfully in Shamayim. Refuah shelayma to all the injured. Nechama to all their families.
So many questions: 1. Was it driver error? 2. Bald tires? 3. Sabbotage? 4. Terrorism? 5. Weather conditions?
I hope a full investigation reveals the actual cause of this unfortunate accident.
Kudos to all the participants enroute to do a mitzvah.