As the Stuyvesant community remains concerned over the health of two students and a coach who were seriously injured after a track team van crash, it now seems that the trip was not authorized by the school.
The girls' junior varsity track team was headed to New Hampshire for the Dartmouth relays when their van hit a median and rolled over. Drivers passing by helped to hold the van so it would stop rolling and one said of junior Valerie Piro, who is currently paralyzed, "She was half ejected from the van, her face in snow, mud and glass, and all she was concerned with was the safety of others." Piro had serious neck injuries while fellow junior Lucia Hsiao (pictured with Piro) suffered neck injuries, a broken arm and a bruised lung; coach Erin Taylor, who was driving, had a fractured neck.
The Department of Education's investigation unit will be looking into the accident. The meet was not on the calendar of approved activities, and it appears that Stuyvesant was not aware that Taylor had organized the trip (parents did give permission to Taylor for the trip). Additionally, school protocol calls for "At least two staff members and one adult are required for up to 30 students."
The head of the extracurricular activities committee for the Stuyvesant's parents association told Newsday it's wasn't unheard of for students to "participate in non-sanctioned events," "We try to offer the kids the richest environment possible in every way, whether it's the math team or the track team. This is just a tragedy."
Piro's father told the Daily News the family hopes she will be able to walk again, but added "It's the phone call you never, ever want to get: the hospital saying your daughter has been in an accident and they're asking for permission to perform surgery." She is apparently upbeat and emailing friends from the hospital.
Last year, a Manhattan school teacher came under fire for organizing a student trip to Cuba, which had not been approved by the Department of Education (the State Department doesn't allow high school students to visit Castro's country). And the incident revealed previous illegal trips to Cuba as well.
