A Notre Dame junior and a Saint Mary’s junior were taken to Memorial Hospital after a car accident on U.S. 12 in Niles, Michigan, on Saturday night.
The hospital confirmed both students were still in critical condition Sunday afternoon.
The car was heading east on a bridge over the St. Joseph River when the driver lost control and spun across the center line, where it was struck by a westbound car, Michigan State Trooper Jim McGaffigan said.
Both students were entrapped in the car with injuries, McGaffigan said. While emergency workers were attempting to extricate the passengers, another eastbound vehicle struck a fire truck protecting the scene, which was pushed into the car with the students still inside it, he said.
The students did not sustain any major injuries from the second accident, McGaffigan said.
The University declined to comment on the condition of the students due to privacy constraints. However, administrators have remained in contact with the student’s family, University spokesperson Dennis Brown said in an email.
“We keep their son and others injured in our prayers,” Brown said.
The father of one of the students was driving the car and also taken to the hospital, McGaffigan said.
McGaffigan said icy road conditions were likely the cause of both crashes. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article said the driver of the car had been released from the hospital Saturday night. The driver was in stable condition, but stayed overnight in the hospital.
