CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WKRC) — Two Ohio teachers were killed in a car crash while en route to drop their son off at college on Friday afternoon.
The incident occurred at 1:18 p.m. on Interstate 85 near Chapel Hill. Authorities stated that 50-year-old Maria Nunney of Cleveland was pronounced dead at the scene, while her husband, 55-year-old Donald Nunney, died later after being airlifted to a local hospital.
Their two children, aged 14 and 9, were also in the vehicle and sustained serious injuries. Both siblings are currently receiving treatment at Duke Hospital.
According to reports, the couple was traveling from Cleveland to UNC-Chapel Hill for their son's enrollment. Authorities revealed that the van went off the highway, crashed into a wooded area, and subsequently caught fire.
The oldest son, who was in a separate vehicle during the incident, stopped on the interstate after the crash.
The President of the Cleveland Teachers Union commented on the tragedy, describing the couple as dedicated educators and loving parents. “Their loss has hit everyone so hard… It is just devastating,” the statement read.
This incident occurred just days before the district's first day of classes on August 19. Authorities confirmed that the son remains by his siblings' sides at the hospital as the family copes with the devastating loss.