UMO Releases Statement Involving Students in Fatal Crash
MOUNT OLIVE- Seven University of Mount Olive students have been involved in a fatal crash. Six of the seven are from the UMO Women’s Lacrosse team and one is a former baseball player. The accident occurred at the intersection of Highway 55 and Indian Springs Road. The students were in a jeep that was struck by an oncoming transfer-trailer truck.
Freshmen exercise science major Madison Mergl of Sayville, NY and sophomore agribusiness major Ann Wray of Oakland, NJ have died as a result of the injuries they sustained in the accident. The other students airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville are women’s lacrosse players: sophomore biology major Tiffany Lee of Gambrills, MD; freshman exercise science major Alex Eubanks of Bowie MD; freshmen exercise science major Chaney Partrich of Chapin, SC; and sophomore healthcare management major Amber McCarthy of Havelock, NC; and former baseball player and senior business management major Jett Swetland from Sparta, OH. The University is continuing to monitor the situation. A team of professionals will be on campus to offer counseling. Rodger’s Chapel will be open all day for prayer.
Interim University of Mount Olive President Dr. Ed Croom stated, “It is a sad day for the University of Mount Olive. We are in prayer for everyone involved in this horrific accident. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of Ann Wray and Madison Mergl, and we uplift all of the others in our prayers as they continue to receive medical treatment. The University of Mount Olive is a close-knit community and this has hit us all hard.”
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has education service centers in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Jacksonville, and Washington. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.