Seat Belts Could Have Saved Four B.U. Students

Seat belts could have saved the lives of the three Boston University students who were killed in New Zealand last May when their minivan rolled over.

According to the Boston Herald, Constable Tina Mitchell-Ellis told the coroner’s court that the three who died and the fourth student who suffered brain trauma weren’t wearing seatbelts and were thrown from the van.

There were four other students who were wearing their seatbelts who suffered minor injuries. According to the Herald, the students were studying abroad and were on their way to a scenic hike. Last year, driver Stephen Houseman plead guilty to careless driving and was disqualified from driving for six months.

Police told the Herald that drugs and alcohol were not involved in the accident, and that the driver was not speeding on the rural roads. Police said that it was the driver’s first time driving on New Zealand roads. According to the report, the driver became distracted and drove onto the side of the road, which caused him to overcorrect the steering wheel, causing the van to flip four times.

Austin Brasher of California and Roch Jauberty of France, 21, and Daniela Lehno of New Jersey, 20, were killed. Meg Theriault of Massachusetts suffered head injuries, but returned to Boston University after cranial surgery.