Two Stony Brook U. students killed in Pa. crash

The campus of Stony Brook University was in mourning Monday after a weekend accident in Pennsylvania claimed the lives of two students - and left a third clinging to life.

The crash, which occurred at 12:33 a.m. Saturday on Interstate 80 near Mifflinville, Pa. - southwest of Wilkes-Barre - killed driver Sean Finnegan, 21, of Lynbrook, and one passenger, Paul Richards, 18, of Santa Cruz, Calif. The rear passenger, Stanislav Gomberg, 21, of Ossining, was airlifted to the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., where he remained in serious condition Monday, officials said.

"The entire Stony Brook family was deeply saddened to learn of the untimely and tragic death of two of our students, Sean Finnegan and Paul Richards, who were involved in a fatal car accident over the weekend," university president Dr. Samuel L. Stanley Jr. wrote in a letter to students and faculty. "Both Sean and Paul were well-known and well-regarded members of the Stony Brook community and their friends and classmates are devastated by the tragedy of their loss."

Sister Margaret Ann Landry, chaplain of Catholic Campus Ministry at Stony Brook, said grieving members of Stony Brook's sororities and fraternities were invited to attend Sunday's Stony Brook Mass, which drew about 300 people, twice as many as usual, she said.

Pennsylvania State Police said the crash happened when the 1998 Nissan Altima Finnegan was driving plowed into the rear of a Freightliner tractor-trailer being driven by Ricky Ray Yates of Ojai, Calif.

Both vehicles were headed west, police said.

No charges have been filed in the crash, police said.

Monday, Stony Brook officials said Finnegan was a senior psychology major who was set to graduate in May.

Richards was a first-year student and a member of the College of Global Studies, according to Stanley.

Gomberg is a senior psychology major, according to school officials.

The university said both Finnegan and Richards were members of the campus fraternity Alpha Phi Delta.

It was unclear where Finnegan, Richards and Gomberg were headed at the time of the crash. Finnegan's parents declined requests for an interview; attempts to reach the families of Richards and Gomberg were unsuccessful.

"The loss of a student is always difficult, and we know it is particularly so for those directly invested in a student's academic success and personal development," Stanley wrote in his letter.

He said the Office of the Dean of Students was advising students, faculty and staff of resources available to support the campus community - such as counseling and psychological services available at the student health center.