CLEVELAND — A Cleveland couple tragically lost their lives in a fiery accident while transporting their son to his college in North Carolina on Friday afternoon, according to authorities.

The couple, parents of four children, were both educators at elementary schools within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Troopers responded to the crash on Interstate 85 north and Interstate 40 east around 1:18 p.m., the highway patrol told NBC affiliate WRAL.

Donald Nunney, age 55, was at the wheel of a Honda Odyssey heading from Cleveland to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His wife, 50-year-old Maria Nunney, was in the front passenger seat, while two of their children were seated in the back.

State troopers indicated that the minivan veered off the roadway, igniting in flames amidst the trees alongside the highway. The vehicle collided with multiple trees before ultimately stopping against a sizable tree.

WRAL reported that both Donald and Maria Nunney perished in the incident. Their children, a 14-year-old girl, and a 9-year-old boy, were transported to a hospital. Troopers informed WRAL that the girl sustained more serious injuries compared to her brother. A message obtained by 3News and shared with the staff at the school where Donald Nunney was employed confirmed that both children are in stable condition and are expected to recover.

According to WRAL, North Carolina troopers are still investigating the cause of the crash.

According to records from the Ohio State Board of Education, Donald Nunney was employed as a language arts teacher at Joseph M. Gallagher School, instructing grades four to six. Maria Nunney was identified as a counselor at Wilbur Wright PreK-8 School.

“We can confirm that we will have additional counselors and resources on hand to support the student and staff communities at the many impacted schools,” CMSD Communications Officer Jon Benedict said in a statement to 3News. “Out of respect for the family, that’s all we’re prepared to say at this very difficult time, other than to say our heart is with them at this very tragic moment.”

The CMSD school year begins on Monday.

Joseph M. Gallagher School Principal Lennox Thompson wrote the following letter to the school community:

With a heavy heart I regret to inform you that Mr. Don Nunney and his wife passed away yesterday afternoon around 1:30 PM. He and his family got into a single-car accident in North Carolina after dropping off their son Noah to college. We have been informed that 2 of his children were with them – that they were rushed to IC but are stable and will be fine.  

Don had been a teacher at Gallagher since 1994, servicing generations and generations of families in the community for almost 30 years, and our heart goes out to his family; his wife was a teacher in the District as well at Wilbur Wright. They both were well know in Cleveland, in their own community and moreover, well respected and will be missed.

There is no one sole way to deal with grief of a lost one. Some want to hold on to love ones and be around others who knew him; some want to be in solitude; some don’t want to discuss it and stick to work that needs to be done as a distraction. Regardless of how you deal with grief, please know that you are not alone – that we have a staff 100+ that feel your loss and are there for you and are there for one another. Losing someone is never easy, so let’s lean on each other in support. 

The CEO reached out to us yesterday, and we have their full support with grief counselors and support on Monday. We have a meeting with Humanware tomorrow to formulate a plan of support on Monday for both students and staff, and we will ask that it not only be for Monday – as such an event and passing can hit people at different times and differently. 

Lastly, please keep the Nunney family in your prayers. This tragedy has hit home at school but the impact on their family – on their children – that is life altering. We will give more information about Monday and support setup.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help support the Nunney children. You can donate here.