Harvard - Yale Game Marked By Fatal Accident

Harvard vs. Yale or “The Game” as it’s known throughout New England and to the alumni of both legendary institutions saw its 128^th anniversary marked by a terrible tragedy.  Harvard won its 5^th consecutive game against their ancient rivals from New Haven, Connecticut by a score of 45-7, but the game had a decidedly distracted feel throughout as hearts and thoughts of players and fans rested with the families of Nancy Barry & Sarah Short.

The Harvard-Yale tailgating culture is nearly as famous as the game itself, and in recent years both schools have taken serious steps to ensure the safety of fans tailgating prior to kickoff.  Unfortunately upgraded safety precautions could not protect Nancy Barry of Salem, Massachusetts who lost her life when a U-Haul truck driven by Yale student Brendan Ross allegedly malfunctioned while driving through a sea of tailgaters prior to kickoff.

Sarah Short, a 31-year old Yale student from New Haven remained hospitalized through Sunday night with leg injuries.  A 3^rd victim, 23-year old Harvard employee Elizabeth Dernbach, was treated for minor injuries on Saturday and then released.

Brendan Ross has retained the services of long time Connecticut criminal defense attorney William F. Dow III to represent him in the accident case.  Dow called the events that took place in the parking lot of the Yale Bowl on Saturday afternoon a “tragic accident that appears to be the result of a vehicle malfunction.”  Dow also went on to say, “Brendan and his family express their sincere condolences to the family of Nancy Barry for this tragic accident.”

Ross, who was hauling beer kegs in the U-Haul at the time of the accident, passed a field sobriety test and by all accounts has been cooperative with the police as they continue to conduct their investigation.

Ross is a member of the Yale chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and was driving the U-Haul to the fraternity house at the time of the accident.  Sigma Phi Epsilon has issued a statement from their home office that read,

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. The fraternity is currently working with law enforcement officials as they investigate the details of exactly what happened,"

Now as more time has passed since the accident more details continue to emerge.  U-Haul has issued a statement to the Huffington Post through Pete Sciortino, who heads up the company’s Connecticut branch.  In the statement Sciortino was quoted as saying that there is no "factual basis for such a claim" in response to allegations that a truck malfunction caused the fatal accident.

Eye witnesses of the account vary in their re-telling of the events that have deeply shaken everyone with a connection to the story.  One witness, who preferred to not give their name, told the New Haven Register,

“I watched a woman die today.  It was totally an accident. Whether he was impaired is another question.”

Betty Trachtenberg, who worked for many years as Yale’s Dean of Student Affairs, told the New York Times, “I was in the dean’s office for 20 years, and 10 of those years drove me crazy. Drinking, tailgates and football seem to be synonymous, and you can’t separate one from the other.”

Yale released a statement via university spokesman Thomas Conroy. Conroy would go on to say,

“Yale extends our sympathies and prayers to the family of the woman who was killed and hopes for the speedy recovery of the two women hurt. Our thoughts are also with those who witnessed or were affected by this tragic accident.”

Nearly 48 hours after the accident we’ve become inundated with information about this tragedy, and while law enforcement continues to decide what is fact and what is fiction we would all do well to remember the words Paula St. Pierre, the mother of the late Nancy Barry.

“We’re not blaming anybody, In my heart, I’m just hoping she didn’t suffer.’’