News Summary

ERIE, Pa. — A winter tour of the Miami University Glee Club took a frightening turn Tuesday, Jan. 6, when a van carrying eight students crashed on Interstate 90 in Erie, Pa.

Four students were hospitalized and their conditions ranged from fair to serious, university officials said.

The student who was driving, Sean Barry, 21, of Bloomington, Minn., fell asleep at the wheel, according to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police.

The crash occurred around 10:40 a.m. when a caravan of five vans and one charter bus was traveling east on I-90 through Erie County en route to Buffalo, N.Y., for a concert, police and university officials said.

Police said Barry woke up when the van drifted into the median; he then pulled the wheel to the right, which sent the van off the right side of the highway. The 2007 Ford Econoline struck road signs before rolling over and coming to rest on its roof.

Barry suffered "major" injuries as did 20-year-old passenger Patrick Muccio, of Columbus. Taylor Love, 19, of Findlay and Adam Saxe, 18, of Beavercreek both suffered "moderate" injuries; Timothy Spears, 22, of Lewis Center, Ohio, Peter Blank, 21, of Sylvania, Philip Stichtenoth, 22, of Cincinnati and Andrew Crist, 23, of Zanesville all suffered "minor" injuries, police said.

All the students were wearing seat belts except Crist, a graduate student, and it is unclear whether Love was wearing one, according to the report.

None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, according to a campuswide letter sent by Susan Mosley-Howard, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students.

University and hospital officials spoke with parents of the injured students and Glee Club advisers have talked with other members' families, according to the letter.

Most of the students continued on the tour and the university will continue to provide support for all involved, the letter stated.