A college student’s parents died and his siblings injured in a highway crash in North Carolina during a trip to drop him off at school.
Noah Nunney, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was on campus waiting to meet his family when he heard about a terrible car accident nearby.
“When I got to the scene, I thought all four were gone,” Nunney explained to PEOPLE. “They wouldn’t let me leave the car, and the way they spoke to me and the expression on the officer’s face was truly terrifying.”
The accident occurred on Friday, Aug. 15, around 1:18 p.m., as Nunney’s family members left their hotel to meet him for lunch.
Donald and Maria Nunney, who had been teaching in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for many years, tragically lost their lives in a car accident while dropping their son off at school in North Carolina.
As the family mourns, the community is coming together to support them. Nunney’s parents were cherished teachers in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
Shari Obrenski, the president of the Cleveland Teachers Union, told WOIO that the school community is reeling.
“They were amazing teachers, caring and attentive parents, and active in the community. Their loss is unimaginable for their family and children, and the impact is both shocking and heart-wrenching,” Obrenski shared with the outlet.
Within hours of the crash, members of the Morehead-Cain scholarship program, UNC staff and relatives had gathered to offer help.
A GoFundMe campaign to assist the family has raised over $350,000.
Organizers highlighted Maria and Donald as “remarkable and devoted parents,” stressing their dedication to both their family and their educational roles.
“Maria and Donald leave behind a legacy of community, family, and love, all rooted in the devotion they had for their children and their family,” a post on the fundraising page read.
The crash took place shortly before the start of the academic year at UNC, which began on Monday, Aug. 18.
While Nunney plans to take the fall semester off to care for his siblings, he’s determined to finish his degree.
“I know that’s what my parents would’ve wanted,” he said.
Reflecting on their final moments together, Nunney shared what it meant to have his parents drop him off last year for his freshman year of college.
“It was the first time they saw me as an adult,” he recalled. “They saw me, truthfully, as more of a man than just their kid, and I felt like that was something that will always stick with me.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the school district and teachers’ union for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides, and migrant crime. Story tips: stepheny.price@fox.com.
