PLATTSBURGH — Pedestrian error is blamed for the deaths of four teens last November on Peasleeville Road in Peru.
Dat T. Ong, 17, of Vietnam and Chu "Allen" Xiong, 18, of China "were walking on an unlit, near-dark highway in the road with their backs to traffic," said State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Capt. Robert LaFountain at a somber press conference Friday afternoon.
The teens, both international students at Seton Catholic Central School in Plattsburgh, were struck and killed by the 1997 Mercury Sable driven by Brandon Sorrell-Rennert, 17, of Peru.
Samantha Donah, 17, of Plattsburgh was a passenger in the vehicle.
They also died.
SPEED NOT A FACTOR
LaFountain said the accident occurred at around 4:45 p.m. Nov. 15, just minutes before twilight; Sorrell-Rennert was driving westward.
The collision-reconstruction team, the police captain said, established the car was moving between 63 and 69 mph.
The speed limit on that stretch of road is 55 mph, but LaFountain said speed was not a factor in the accident.
Ong and Xiong were walking westward, with traffic, on the paved portion of the highway, though officials were unable to pin-point exactly where.
"Both pedestrians were wearing dark, non-reflective clothing with no artificial light. There is no evidence to indicate pre-impact evasive actions," LaFountain said.
And there was no evidence that the car or the pedestrians were off the roadway before the impact.
WITNESSES SAW FIRE
Xiong was struck close to the right front of the vehicle and thrown into the woods on the north side of the highway.
The center of the car's front end hit Ong; he was thrown against the windshield and fell off near the spot that the car came to rest.
"After the impact of the pedestrians, the evidence indicates the vehicle swerved to the left, causing the rear of the vehicle to swerve to the right, with the vehicle rotating counterclockwise across both lanes of traffic," LaFountain said.
The car left the south side of the roadway, where its passenger side hit a dirt pile and 6-inch tree. It came to rest on the passenger side, LaFountain said, and witness accounts indicated that fire erupted in the engine and trunk moments later.
NO DRUGS, ALCOHOL
All four of the students sustained "massive injuries" that caused their deaths.
Sorrell-Rennert over-steered after the impact, LaFountain said, which resulted in him losing control of the car and striking the bank.
Toxicology results confirmed that none of the victims were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Both Sorrell-Rennert and Donah were wearing seat belts at the time.
ROAD SAFETY
New York State Police Capt. Brent Gillum said during the press conference that all people should be aware of specific road safety laws.
"New York State Traffic Law ... states that pedestrians walking on a roadway will walk on the left, opposing traffic, when sidewalks are not provided," he said.
He said pedestrians are encouraged to wear bright-colored or reflective clothing and should consider using flashlights during low-light conditions.
"I think an abundance of caution on their part — pedestrians and motor-vehicle operators — will hopefully stop these things from happening."
And pedestrians should never assume that a motorist can see them.
REMEMBERING
Holding back tears the best she could was Kelly Donah, Samantha's mother.
She spoke about the benefit that will be held in memory of Samantha and two other students — Morgin Baker and Victoria O'Neill, who also died too young.
Samantha wanted to become a pediatric nurse and was immersed in CV-TEC's Allied Health Program before her tragic death.
The benefit will raise money for the CV-TEC Allied Health Scholarship.
"We have a lot of great things to raffle away, a lot of tributes planned to help remember and honor Samantha, and we just really look forward to helping others succeed in their nursing careers and their futures."
The benefit will be held at Gilligan's Getaway in Plattsburgh from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday.
"Thank you so much for your support and everything that the community and businesses and friends and family have done for my family, as well as Brandon's and Dat's and Allen's families," she said.
After the conference, Kelly described Samantha as a loving girl who put everyone and everything before herself. The event will help them to remember that, she said.
TOUGH LESSON
Derek Payne, director of the International Student Association at Seton, was with Assistant Director Susan Pellerin at the press conference.
Payne said afterwards that, since the accident, he has stayed in touch with the families of Ong and Xiong, answering logistical questions and doing whatever they could for them.
"How much good can you do after you lose a son? I think that, considering the situation, they're still finding closure. They're doing, generally speaking, the best they can."
Payne said Seton students have been educated about the safety laws, and those have been reiterated since the accident.
"I think we will take heightened measures with students about their need to be a lot more careful, especially on the type road this happened on. I think teenagers, in general, kind of lose sight of that sometimes, adults too."
Kelly said that not being aware of the pedestrian laws can cause serious problems.
"I see it almost daily myself, driving around where there are bicyclists or pedestrians that take for granted that the motorist can see them ... It just takes a level of awareness on everybody's part.
"Driving a vehicle is an extreme responsibility."
But, Kelly said, the focus now should be on remembering the lives of the four students and not on the event that took their lives.
"We are all experiencing the same grief and the same tragic loss, and nothing will change what happened."
Email Rebecca Webster at: rwebster@pressrepublican.com
