College student's parents killed, siblings injured in crash on school drop-off trip

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 waiting on campus to reunite with his family when he received word of a serious car accident nearby. 

"When I arrived to the scene, I thought all four were gone," Nunney told PEOPLE. "They wouldn't let me out of the car, and the way that they sat me down and the look on the officer's face was truly horrifying."

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. 

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Police said their vehicle "struck several small trees, traveled down an embankment and collided with a large tree."

Nunney, who told the outlet he was tracking his sister's phone, noticed their location hadn't changed and rushed to the scene with a friend.

Authorities said Maria Nunney, 50, who was in the front passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene. Donald Nunney, 55, was flown to a hospital and later died, reportedly from a heart attack that triggered the crash, his son told PEOPLE.

The Nunneys' younger children, 9 and 15, survived the crash, suffering serious injuries.

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After learning that both his parents had died, Nunney told PEOPLE he realized that he "had to focus on what was important in this situation," which was doing anything he could to make sure his siblings were going to be OK.

"Since then, that's been my main priority," he said.

Nunney's 9-year-old brother sustained multiple broken bones and was placed on a ventilator, but is now off the ventilator and "talking nonstop," he said. His 15-year-old sister suffered a brain injury and has begun to walk and communicate. 

"Seeing them improve has really helped me improve mentally with the whole situation," Nunney said, adding she had not yet been told about their parents' deaths. "I want to give her time to heal." 

A spokesperson for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol told Fox News Digital that the crash remains under investigation and further details about what caused the fatal collision were not available.

Nunney said that his family had planned a special day on campus before returning home to Ohio. His sister, a fan of the show, "The Summer I Turned Pretty," had been looking forward to visiting filming locations with her brother. But the family never made it.

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As the family grieves, the community is rallying around them. Nunney's parents were beloved, longtime 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 just incredible teachers, loving and attentive and committed parents. They were active in the community. Their loss has hit everyone so hard that it is unimaginable for their family and their children. So shocking and heartbreaking and just devastating," Obrenski told 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.

The organizers praised Maria and Donald as "amazing and devoted parents," emphasizing their strong commitment both to their family and their roles as educators.

"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.