A fourth-year College student was killed in a single-car accident March 5 on his way to Florida, and three other University students, including the driver, were injured.
Ernest Trezevant "Bo" Buchanan, IV died in the accident, which occurred at the 19th mile marker of North Interstate 95 near Brunswick, Ga., according toGeorgia State Patrol Officer Brian Hood.
Police were notified of the accident at 10 p.m., Hood said.
The driver of the vehicle, a fourth-year College student who requested not to be named, said the accident occurred when she swerved to avoid hitting a deer in the middle of the road and lost control of the vehicle. The driver said the car flipped a couple of times down an embankment, and added that the passengers were treated for broken bones, minor concussions and bruises at a hospital in Jacksonville, Fla.
According to the driver, safety precautions were taken during the road trip, including taking breaks and switching drivers often.
Buchanan, the son of Susan Henry Buchanan and Ernest T. "Joe" Buchanan, III, graduated from Cox High School in Virginia Beach in 2000. He was a history major and the NROTC battalion commanding officer.
According to NROTC Maj. Fritz Pfeiffer, an appointment as battalion commander is a high honor.
"He was a superb leader," Pfeiffer said. "He was well liked by not only his peers but the other active duty officers here. He was an example to us all."
Second-year College student Jonathan Wendt attended Cox High School with Buchanan and went to the same church as the Buchanan family. Wendt said Buchanan's hard work and determination were reflected in his involvement as student government president and captain of the volleyball team in high school.
"I really admired his determination and his faith," Wendt said.
Yesterday at 6:45 a.m., dozens of Marine option and NROTC midshipmen gathered to paint Beta Bridge in remembrance of Buchanan. The bridge was painted in the Navy's blue and gold colors with the statement: "You will be missed," surrounded with phrases that Buchanan's friends remembered him saying.
Fourth-year College student Nick Borrelli, who was present at the Beta Bridge painting, was Buchanan's roomate and close friend.
"He was my best friend," Borrelli said. "I miss him already; he was an amazing leader and role model. He was always trying to whip us into shape."
Associate Dean of Students Aaron Laushway, the dean on call at the time of the accident, said he believes the students' painting Beta Bridge reflects the high esteem in which Buchanan's friends held him.
"Clearly we have lost one of our finest and proudest sons," Laushway said. "He was a young man who loved the University and contributed to it endlessly, someone who you can feel the strong affection that his friendship evoked. He was a selfless young man who was a true leader and sought to inspire others."
David Wattenmaker, a third-year College student and friend of Buchanan's, said he was a role model for his peers. According to Wattenmaker, droves of students from Buchanan's high school and the University attended his funeral Thursday afternoon. Several spoke on Buchanan's leadership qualities.
"I think that everyone who knew Bo learned something from him," Wattenmaker said. "He set an example that people could learn from."
The Buchanan family could not be reached for comment.
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