UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State student has died in a one-vehicle accident Sunday on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The crash involved seven students in a car returning from a trip to solicit donations a student-run philanthropy at Penn State.
Vitalya Sepot, 19, a sophomore from Branford, was a passenger in the car returning to campus from the Philadelphia area when the accident occurred just before 2 p.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sepot, who was majoring in graphic design, was part of a group of students from the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity who were returning from their first weekend collecting donations for THON, a student-run philanthropy.
The remaining six students involved in the accident were transported to Paoli Hospital in Paoli, Pennsylvania.
“The Penn State community and all who know the good work done through student involvement in THON are deeply saddened by this tragedy,” said Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs in a statement. “Our hopes are with the students injured, whose release from the hospital we are eager to see, but our hearts are with Tally’s family and friends, whose terrible loss we mourn.”
The university is offering on-campus counseling for any students or faculty impacted by the crash.
Details of the accident that occurred in Charlestown Township, Chester County, are still being investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and it is unclear at this point how the accident occurred.
