Harding President Bruce McLarty, one of several university administrators who flew to Louisville to support and encourage the families, described the students as “an inspiration to us all.” Please continue to pray for comfort and peace. Words cannot convey our sorrow (for) Nicholas’ family. Each of you have helped carry us through. Times like this remind us of the wonderful blessing of our relationship with God and God’s family. Our deepest thanks to each and every one of you who have expressed your love to us today through calls, texts, posts and prayers. On his Facebook page Saturday night, David Owens wrote: Owens’ father, David Owens, serves as an elder and minister for the Wetzel Road Church of Christ in Liverpool, N.Y., near Syracuse. “Our hearts are hurting deeply” for Smith’s family, the Taylors wrote. Taylor’s parents, Toby and Debbie, wrote on Facebook Saturday that he came out of surgery and “showed no major complications.” Passenger Owens, a sophomore early childhood major from Baldwinsville, N.Y., was treated and released. He was described as stable and recovering. Passenger Drew Taylor, a senior mathematics major from Whitesboro, N.Y., was airlifted to a hospital, where he underwent surgery, Harding said. Smith, originally from Buford, Ga., suffered fatal injuries. The crash occurred on northbound Interstate 71 in the Louisville, Ky., area. Smith, 21, was driving a car crushed between two tractor-trailers at 1:15 a.m., the Christian university reported. Joined by his girlfriend Abby Owens and nine other Harding students, Smith intended to spend the week helping with a new Church of Christ being planted in Utica, N.Y.īut tragedy struck the caravan of 11 students - riding in four cars - when one of the cars was involved in a multiple-vehicle crash early Saturday (March 7), according to a report on Harding’s website. Nicholas Smith, with his girlfriend Abby Owens. Rather, the youth and family ministry major from Harding University in Searcy, Ark., hit the road for upstate New York. Nicholas Smith’s big plans for spring break didn’t involve sandy beaches or snowy ski slopes.

Death by Nicholas Searcy