Latest news with #WestonHighSchool
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Weston High School mourns siblings killed with family in NY plane crash
Weston Public Schools is mourning the deaths of two former students killed with their family in a plane crash in upstate New York over the weekend. 'We are deeply saddened to hear the news of a terrible tragedy involving the Groff family, all valued and beloved members of our Weston Public School community,' Superintendent Karen Zaleski and Weston High School Principal Sue Bairstow said in a letter to families. 'Two of our graduates, Karenna Groff and Jarad Groff, their parents, and several friends were killed in a small plane crash in New York yesterday.' 'Their lives ended far too soon, and our hearts are with all those who are grieving this unimaginable and sudden loss,' the letter read. A twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon Saturday in a muddy field in Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts line, killing everyone on board, according to authorities and a family member who spoke to The Associated Press. Shortly before the crash, the pilot had radioed air traffic control at Columbia County Airport to say he had missed the initial approach and requested a new approach plan, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board said at a Sunday briefing. While preparing the new coordinates, air traffic controllers attempted to relay a low-altitude alert three times, with no response from the pilot and no distress call, officials said. Among the victims were Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year; her father, a neuroscientist, Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist; her brother, Jared Groff, a 2022 graduate of Swarthmore College who worked as a paralegal; Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared Groff's partner who also graduated Swarthmore and planned to attend Harvard Law School this fall; and Karenna Groff's boyfriend, James Santoro, another recent MIT graduate, according to a family statement Sunday. On Saturday morning, they all headed to Westchester County Airport in White Plains, a suburb of New York City, where they boarded Michael Groff's private plane, according to John Santoro. They were set to land at Columbia County Airport but crashed roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) to the south. The plane was 'compressed, buckled and embedded in the terrain' of a muddy agricultural field, Inman said. The district's letter added that one family member who was not aboard the plane and who attends Weston High School is alive. 'We are holding her and her extended family and friends in our thoughts and are committed to supporting her in the days ahead,' the letter read. 'News like this can be incredibly difficult — especially for students who knew the family or who are navigating grief for the first time," Zaleski and Bairstow said. 'Please know that we are working closely with our counselors and school staff to provide resources and safe spaces for students who may need support.' Counselors will be available for students in the process of understanding what happened, the letter read. 'In moments like this, we are reminded of the strength of our community and the importance of being there for one another,' the letter stated. '[We are] grateful to the faculty, staff, and families who are already rallying around those who are hurting. Let us continue to approach each other with empathy and compassion.' Authorities ID man arrested after pepper spray incident shut down Woburn court Charges dismissed due to ex-New Bedford detective's relationship with informant Recall warning: Don't feed this popular mix to your pets due to salmonella, listeria fears Westfield Fire Department trains at old rectory Man arrested in Georgia brought back to Mass. to face domestic violence charges
Boston Globe
14-04-2025
- Boston Globe
‘Heartbroken' friends and colleagues mourn four members of Weston family killed in plane crash
Advertisement Also killed was Karenna Groff's boyfriend and recent MIT graduate, James Santoro, and Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared Groff's partner, who graduated from Swarthmore College and planned to attend Harvard Law School, relatives said Sunday in a joint statement. Karenna Groff threw a ball prior to a baseball game at Fenway Park on April 3, 2023 in Boston. Charles Krupa/Associated Press 'We will remember them as the six brilliant, dynamic, and loving people that they were,' the statement said. Chiocca said Karenna and Jared Groff were contemporaries with his children at Weston High School and had been at his house on numerous occasions. He also knows the youngest daughter, Anika Groff, who attends Weston High School. 'She's also a great kid, just a really close family,' he said. Karenna Groff graduated in 2018, a year after Jared Groff, according to a statement from the town's public school system. Advertisement 'Their lives ended far too soon,' the statement said. 'One family member, a current student at Weston High School, was not on the plane and remains with us. We are holding her and her extended family and friends in our thoughts and are committed to supporting her in the days ahead.' Anika Groff is scheduled to graduate this year, according to Globe coverage of her career on the school soccer team. Chiocca said Michael Groff was vice chair of the neurosurgery department at Mass General Brigham — Chiocca is the chair — from 2011 until last summer, when he took over as the executive medical director of neurosciences at This 2023 photo provided by John Santoro shows his son, James Santoro, and Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player recently named the NCAA Woman of Year. Uncredited/Associated Press 'He was just a very human human being,' he said. 'He was very well-liked, very empathetic, very charismatic, very kind. He's Jewish so we'd say, 'He's a real mensch.'' The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash but does not provide names of pilots or crash victims. But the profile of the pilot outlined by the NTSB on Sunday — someone who had first earned a license at a young age and was certified to fly the Mitsubishi — matches that of Michael Groff. Relatives and records show he was 16 when he was first licensed to fly and was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly commercial and private aircraft. Chiocca, who flew on a number of occasions with Groff at the controls, believes Michael Graff was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash, given his long-time passion for flying. NTSB investigator Albert Nixon said the pilot 'reported a missed approach' and asked air traffic control for a new approach plan. Traffic controllers reached out to the pilot three additional times to relay a low altitude alert, but there was no response, Nixon said. No distress call was made from the plane. Advertisement According to Federal Aviation Administration records, Michael Graff was certified to pilot commercial aircraft as well as private aircraft. He was required to wear glasses, records show. His son, Jared, was a student pilot who was not authorized to fly a plane with passengers, records show. The group left Westchester County Airport in New York on Saturday morning heading for Columbia County Airport near the Massachusetts border, NTSB safety board member Todd Inman said at a Inman said investigators had acquired a video of the final seconds before the plane crashed that appears to show the 'aircraft was intact and crashed at a high rate of descent into the ground.' Meri Avratin said Monday she had been at work for a couple hours on Saturday afternoon when numerous ambulances and police cars sped past her vintage clothing store along Route 23. 'I saw a lot of emergency vehicles go by, which when you live in a small community makes you nervous because it could easily be somebody that you know, because I've lived here forever,' said Avratin, 49. Karenna Groff, the NCAA's Woman of the Year in 2022, earned a bachelor's degree in biological engineering in 2022 from MIT and a Master's degree in biological engineering the following year, according to Kimberly Allen, a university spokeswoman. Santoro earned a bachelor's degree in Finance in 2022, Allen said. Advertisement 'They were a wonderful family,' Santoro's father, John Santoro, told the Associated Press. 'The world lost a lot of very good people who were going to do a lot of good for the world if they had the opportunity. We're all personally devastated.' John said his son met Groff as a freshman at MIT. Santoro grew up in Tewksbury, N.J., and is a graduate of the Delbarton School. He was planning to propose to Groff this summer, the family said in the statement. Karenna Groff was also a volunteer counselor at Camp Kesem at MIT, served as a teaching assistant for the university's department of biological engineering, and was a co-founder of She was only the In 'I was shocked,' she said. 'They had a gold envelope like it was the Golden Globes and they called my name. I was overwhelmed, and the first thing I said was, 'What am I going to say in the speech?'' At the ceremony, Groff was praised for her work in clinical research at Boston Children's Hospital, where she focused on the genetic basis of epilepsy with the hope of generating a new gene theory for children. 'I always want to give back,' Groff said in 2023. 'I feel like it's a responsibility I have.' During her athletic career at MIT, Groff led her soccer team to four NCAA Division 3 tournaments as a two-time captain. Advertisement In April 2023, Groff threw She was a second-year student at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and was accepted to train in the neurosurgery program, according to Steve Ritea, a spokesperson for the school. 'She had already distinguished herself as a rising star inside and outside the classroom, with limitless possibilities on the horizon,' Ritea said. 'Karenna demonstrated exceptional skill and unwavering passion towards the care of patients and the mission of our institution.' Michael Groff was pursuing an executive MBA at MIT's Sloan School of Management, according to Allen. 'Dr. Groff was a highly respected neurosurgeon and physician leader, known for his clinical excellence, compassionate care, and unwavering commitment to advancing the field of neuroscience,' Richard Davis, CEO of Rochester Regional Health, said in a statement. Michael 'became a distinguished neurosurgeon' and was also 'an experienced pilot, who fell in love with flying after being taught by his father at the age of sixteen,' the family statement said. Karenna Groff's mother, Jyot, who was known as Joy, was a pelvic surgeon and the founder of Information about funerals and memorials will be forthcoming, according to the family. Material from the Associated Press was used in this report . John R. Ellement can be reached at
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Unimaginable and sudden loss': Weston High School mourns family killed in New York plane crash
The Weston community is in mourning following the loss of a family after a plane crash in upstate New York over the weekend. The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B private plane was on its way to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday when it went down into a muddy field in Copake near the Massachusetts border killing everyone on board. Among the victims were Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player named the 2022 NCAA woman of the year; her father, a neuroscientist, Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist; her brother, Jared Groff, a 2022 graduate of Swarthmore College who worked as a paralegal; James Santoro, Karennas boyfriend and another recent MIT graduate and Alexia Couyutas Duarte, Jared Groff's partner. Kareena and Jared were both graduates of Weston High School. Weston Public Schools superintendent Dr. Karen Zalenski and Weston High School principal Sue Bairstow, released a statement to the community on Sunday. 'We are deeply saddened to hear the news of a terrible tragedy involving the Groff family, all valued and beloved members of our Weston Public School community,' the statement said. 'Their lives ended far too soon, and our hearts are with all those who are grieving this unimaginable and sudden loss,' the statement went on to say. John Santoro, James' father, tells Boston 25 his son first met Groff as a freshman at MIT. Groff, was an All-American soccer player studying biomedical engineering at MIT and was named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year. 'Still couldn't believe it was true. I still don't believe it's true,' John Santoro said. According to Santoro, the couple were excited to embark on a new chapter in New York City after both graduating from MIT, and were planning to get engaged this summer. 'Still don't believe it's true': Plane crash kills two recent MIT student-athletes, Drs from Weston 'Out of respect for the family and especially for our student who is grieving the loss of her loved ones, we ask that all members of our community honor their privacy during this deeply personal time,' Zalenski said. 'Our role as a school community is to surround them with quiet care, compassion, and space to heal,' she added The school district is making counselors available for students and providing guidance for anyone who may have questions. The school also wrote that a family member who was not on the plane is a student at the high school. 'In moments like this, we are reminded of the strength of our community and the importance of being there for one another,' the school said. According to the AP, the plane was set to land at Columbia County Airport but crashed roughly 10 miles to the south. According to the NTSB a full accident report could take between 12 and 24 months to complete. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
