A Tragic Accident

Dear members of the SLU community,

I write to share with you information about a highway accident that injured several SLU students Monday evening.

Three of our international graduate students from India and two St. Louis police officers were seriously injured when a vehicle hit them on the side of westbound U.S. Highway 40 (Interstate 64). Two other SLU students witnessed the collision, though they were not physically injured.

At this time, our injured students remain in area hospitals and are receiving the best possible care. SLU staff members have been able to make contact with the students to let them know we will do everything possible to support them and their families. We are not identifying the injured students because we are still working to contact some of their family members. 

We have also reached out to the two students who were not physically injured. They, too, are suffering, and we will be here to support them, along with students, faculty and staff who know and have close relationships with the injured students.

​​We understand that these students may be far from the family and support networks to which they would ordinarily turn. This can make a tragedy like this even more difficult to bear.  We must embrace everyone affected by this tragedy as cherished members of the SLU community. We should do all that we can to be there for one another, and to support our students as they heal.

Our hospitalized students will need all of our care in the days and weeks ahead. I promise you that the University will provide that support. We also pray for the full recovery of the two police officers who were seriously injured.

Please also know that University counselors are available to students through the University Counseling Center. I encourage students to stay connected to the professionals at the University Counseling Center, to the faculty and staff who support you, and to one another.

There has never been a more important time for all of us to stand together as OneSLU.  We will be communicating additional ways our SLU community can come together to support each other during this very difficult time.

Sincerely,

Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.
President