The East Carolina University (ECU) community is in mourning following a tragic fatal car accident in South Carolina that claimed the lives of two ECU students. The head-on collision has deeply saddened students and college leaders alike, and prayers are being offered for two other students who sustained injuries in the crash.
Authorities have confirmed that 20-year-old Shea Crothers, a sorority member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, and 18-year-old James Stanley, affiliated with Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, tragically passed away in the fatal car accident. The head-on crash occurred on Friday afternoon in Holly Hill, South Carolina. In addition to the devastating loss of these two ECU students, the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident also died.
John Mountz, ECU Director of Greek Life, expressed the profound sorrow felt across the university. “We’re all saddened by the loss of our students,” Mountz stated. “We’re very hopeful for the students who are recovering, and again, as a university, we’re going to do everything we can to support them.” ECU is extending support services to its grieving student body, with crisis counseling services available throughout the week. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is currently investigating the cause of the fatal car accident.
Funeral services for Shea Crothers are scheduled for this Thursday at the Brunswick Memorial Home in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Details regarding funeral arrangements for James Stanley are yet to be announced.
Earlier reports from ECU provided further context to the tragic event. The university released a statement expressing deep sadness upon confirming the involvement of four ECU students in the serious vehicle accident in South Carolina on Friday afternoon. Chancellor Cecil Staton conveyed the university’s collective grief, stating, “There are no words to express the amount of sadness we are feeling today. This is truly devastating news, and we ask that all Pirates come together and join me in holding these students and their families deeply in our hearts and prayers during this unspeakable time.”
Dr. Virginia Hardy, vice chancellor for student affairs, emphasized the university’s commitment to supporting students, faculty, and staff during this difficult period. “The full breadth of our staff and resources will be available to the students, faculty and staff on our campus,” Dr. Hardy affirmed. Crisis counselors from the ECU Center for Counseling and Student Development are readily available to provide support.
The Orangeburg County Coroner identified the ECU students who died in the fatal car accident as Shea Crothers, 20, from New Jersey, and James Stanley, 18, from Sneads Ferry. The South Carolina Highway Patrol detailed that the two-vehicle crash occurred on U.S. Highway 15 near Theater Drive, approximately three miles west of Holly Hill. Trooper 1st Class Tyler Tidwell reported that a 2016 Honda coupe, carrying the ECU students, was traveling south on Highway 15 when it collided head-on with a 1999 Acura Sedan traveling north. Tragically, Walter Lee Prezzy Jr., 51, of Holly Hill, the driver of the Acura, also died in the accident.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding this fatal car accident is ongoing, as authorities work to determine the cause of this devastating event that has deeply impacted the ECU community.
