SAE brother killed in Florida car accident

Other student injured in crash One University student was killed and another seriously injured in a head-on car collision in the Florida Keys early last Sunday morning. The accident claimed a total of three lives. College junior Justin Koppel was killed while driving his car with Wharton junior Scott Weisblum and Michael Zablotsky, a Miami Beach resident, Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel said yesterday. Sylvia Plante of Bucks County, Pa., the driver of the car that struck Koppel's, died in the collision. Zablotsky was also killed. Weisblum suffered a broken elbow and facial injuries. Koppel, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother, was buried in his hometown of Westlake Village, Calif. on Thursday. "Justin was extremely comfortable with himself, and because of this he was comfortable with other people," College senior and SAE brother Joshua Blatt said. "It's not that he lived his life for other people. It's just that other people were his life." Richard Koppel, Justin's father, said his son was "very active in his fraternity" and had also worked as an intern for NBC news. SAE President and College junior Joe Ayoob said that in memory of Koppel, the fraternity is "going to have an award for the brother that exemplifies his spirit." Although about a dozen SAE brothers were able to attend Koppel's funeral, many brothers learned of the tragedy only after returning from spring break. Cassel said a meeting was held at the SAE house on Sunday night to explain what happened and provide counseling for nearly 100 of Koppel's friends. Weisblum, also an SAE brother, is recovering from his injuries at home and is expected to return to the University next Tuesday, Cassel added. "He's pretty shaken up," she said. "Psychologically, he's probably going to need a lot of support. Michael [Zablotsky] was his best friend and he also lost his fraternity brother." According to Florida police, Koppel's car was struck at about 3 a.m. by Plante's Hyundai, which was traveling in excess of 90 miles per hour with no headlights on. Plante was killed instantly after the impact catapulted her car over Koppel's Acura, as the Hyundai burst into flames. Police had been in an on-and-off high-speed chase with Plante for over 100 miles. Before the fatal accident occurred, police had hoped to stop her by throwing a stinger spike system underneath Plante's car. The system would puncture and deflate her tires over the course of several miles. But police were unable to deploy the stinger before she slammed into Koppel's car. The chase began when Plante was stopped by police for traveling too slowly on a highway near the University of Miami. She was pulled over, but then sped off when an officer approached her vehicle to ask for a license and registration. Florida Highway Patrol Spokesperson Sergeant Ernesto Duarte said the investigation into the accident will not be completed until April. Duarte added that Plante's toxicology report would be part of the final investigation. A vigil is being organized by the fraternity for next Wednesday night, Ayoob said. He added that a memorial service is being planned for April to coincide with Koppel's family traveling to the University. Richard Koppel said donations could be made to the Las Virgenes Unified School District Justin Koppel Fund in California. This is second tragic car accident involving students vacationing in Florida during spring break in recent years. Two University students were killed in a car accident while traveling to Walt Disney World in March 1991. The Philadelphia Inquirer contributed to this article.