Skip Navigation

RFH 2010, Cover Stories, Colgate News

Colgate Marks Anniversary of Deadly Crash

Thu, Nov 11, 2010

Colgate Marks Anniversary of Deadly Crash

It was 10 years ago today that four young people -- including three close friends from Norwich -- were killed in a DWI accident on the Oak Drive of Colgate.

The university marked the anniversary this morning with a ceremony at the garden that was created in the memory of Katie Almeter, the first-year Colgate student who died in the crash. She would have graduated in 2004.

Also killed were Hobart-William Smith students Emily Collins and Rachel Nargiso (Almeter's friends and Norwich High School classmates), and Kevin King of Hudson Valley Community College.  Elke Wagle, another Colgate first-year student was.injured in the crash. Chris Rea was treated and released; he was not a Colgate student.

Charged with DWI and four counts of second degree vehicular manslaughter was the driver, Colgate junior Robert Koester. He was found guilty and served jail time. He was driving a Jeep and stopped to pick up the four girls who were walking in the rain late that night. They drove only from the Broad Street entrance of campus to the turnout on Oak Drive, where Koester hit two trees.

An earlier version of this story included an incorrect date.


Please login to post your comments.