The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Nicole Chauvet, a 19-year-old education major who attended Penn State Altoona, died Sunday as a result of a car accident which injured four other students.

According to the Gazette, Chauvet and friends were riding in a Honda Civic Sunday evening when the car made a left turn into the path of a Jaguar. Though the car had a green light, the Civic apparently did not yield to before turning onto the path, according to Logan Township Police Chief Ron Heller.

The students then were taken to Altoona Regional Medical Center, where Chauvet was pronounced dead. One of Nicole Chauvet’s friends told the Gazette that the sophomore, also a cheerleader was intending to transfer to Penn State’s main campus to finish her bachelor’s degree at the time of her death.

The four other students were Chauvet’s roommates, according to a neighbor. One of the roommates is reportedly in a medically induced coma. The driver of the Jaguar reportedly sustained minor injuries.

Our Take

As always with these situations, College News wishes to extend its condolences to the friends and family of Nicole Chauvet, whose death no doubt is sending shockwaves throughout the Penn State Altoona campus. The school has yet to make a formal update about the situation on its Web site, but once they do, College News will report on it. The accidental nature of the car crash makes a death like this seem especially senseless. But the fact that Chauvet was an education major makes her death seem truly tragic.

One of Chauvet’s friends described her to the Post-Gazette as being “bubbly and energetic.” No doubt her presence in a classroom would have been a positive influence for countless of children who would pass through her school, if she achieved her career goal of being a school principal. The fact that Chauvet’s personality won’t have that future influence on many kids strikes this as being especially sad. Again, College News extends its condolences.