Early yesterday morning, Boston University freshman Sabrina Ramzanali died from injuries sustained in a car accident Friday night on route to visit friends at Dartmouth for the Homecoming weekend.
Ramzanali, along with Tarim Wasim '99, Akbar Bhaidani '99 and the driver, an unidentified Wellesley senior, were outside of London on Interstate 89 North at approximately 8:30 p.m. when the accident occurred.
"It was raining, the car had slipped towards the left shoulder and the driver tried to correct it," Bhaidani said. "But the car turned to the right."
"At first I thought she was going to regain control," he said. "Then everything started spinning and there were noises."
"The people in the car behind us told me later that the car flipped three times," Bhaidani said. "I know we landed upside down."
Both the backseat passengers, Wasim and Ramzanali were not wearing seatbelts, and while Wasim was thrown clear of the car, Ramzanali was trapped inside the upside down car.
Wasim received bruises and strained his muscles. The driver suffered a concussion and Bhaidani, a bloody nose.
A passenger in the car behind used a cellular phone to telephone for help and an ambulance rushed Wasim, Bhaidani and the driver to the New London hospital.
The three were discharged later Friday evening and spent the weekend with friends at Dartmouth.
Ramzanali, who was unconscious, was taken directly to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, where she was admitted to the intensive care unit and treated for multiple trauma.
"She was in a coma until this morning," Kamil Walji '03, a friend of Ramzanali said.
Friends of the 17-year-old Ramzanali described her as energetic and enthusiastic. She was also involved with Houston's Ismaili (Muslim) community.
"She made everything work," Walji said. "Energy and enthusiasm spread throughout the group."
"She was such a genuine person," said Sabeen Hassanali '02, who met Ramzanali over the summer, while they were working as counselors at a community children's camp.
Ramzanali passed away at 5 a.m. yesterday morning. Ramzanali's funeral will be held in Houston this Wednesday. There will also be a private religious service at a mosque in Boston this Friday.
