A Honduras bus crash has left three amazing people dead. It has been confirmed that Olivia Varley Erhardt, Daniella Moffson, and Abigail Flanagan, all Columbia University students, who were in Honduras to help those in need, perished in a bus accident on their way to the airport.
A Honduras bus crash leaves three American families mourning the deaths of Olivia Varley Erhardt, 20, 21-year-old Daniella Moffson, and Abigail Flanagan, 45. On Wednesday, a bus carrying dozens of Americans to a Honduras airport veered off a road and fell over 260 feet into a ravine.
The crash, which occurred in Tegucigalpa, took the lives of three people and left more than a dozen injured and hospitalized. It has been confirmed that Erhardt, Moffson, and Flanagan were killed in the crash.
Honduras police do not yet know the cause of the accident, but they do believe that it might have been due to mechanical failure. The victims were Columbia University students taking part in a volunteer mission via Global Brigades helping poor Hondurans in San Juancito and Valle de Angeles. Flanagan, originally from Trinidad, was a nurse practitioner at Columbia University Medical Center as well as a student working on her doctorate degrees, and her son, Patrick was one of the organizers of the trip. Lisa Schachter, a longtime Flanagan friend, revealed:
“Patrick told us he provided CPR to his mom and she passed away at the hospital, Abigail was a shining star, she really was. She had a very large heart. She was a very giving person, a caring person, she was a friend to many.”
Flanagan’s devastated husband, Dennis Flanagan, added:
“She works hard as hell. She’s brilliant and she’s a great person.”
Moffson’s father, Michael Moffson, explained that his daughter dreamed of becoming a pediatrician and loved volunteering and added:
“My daughter was perfection. She was a beautiful girl, beautiful in and out. She did this because she was a good girl.”
Erhardt’s grandmother, Martha Erhardt, shared that she was a sophomore and studying to become a scientist. Martha Erhardt stated:
“We loved her dearly, I still can’t believe it happened. I’m still in a little bit of denial. I keep thinking it must be a mistake.”
Global Brigades said in a statement:
“Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to all those affected by this tragedy.”
Columbia University also released a statement saying:
“We are in the process of determining the full extent of the injuries sustained by the bus passengers and contacting the families of our students.”
Having gone on two missions trips in Honduras and flying out of Tegucigalpa; I can tell you that it is not surprising. Drivers are crazy there and speed all the time. I did a lot of praying. There are so many cliffs and roads are right on the edge of them.
My heart goes out to the families. They clearly lived life for higher purposes and will have their place at the Throne of God. May they all rest in peace.