- Baptist Press - https://www.baptistpress.com -

3 collegians killed after youth outreach

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GRACEVILLE, Fla. (BP)-Three Baptist College of Florida students were killed, and one sustained injuries, in an accident the evening of Sept. 24 about 30 miles southeast of the Graceville, Fla., campus on Interstate 10.

Eleven students in a college van were returning to the campus from Bristol, Fla., where they had spent the evening ministering to area youth. They are part of the college’s Jesus And Me ministry known as the “JAM Team.”

Killed in the accident were junior Jeromy Leary, 20, of Ocala, Fla., and freshmen Joseph Hall, 17, of Dothan, Ala., and David Hoffman, 18, of Cross City, Fla. Amanda Leary, wife of the deceased Jeromy Leary, is considered in guarded condition at Jackson County Hospital.

Details of the accident were not available at press time, Sept. 25.

“The entire BCF family grieves with those families who have lost loved ones in this tragic accident. Certainly, we grieve over the loss of members of our campus family,” said Thomas A. Kinchen, the college’s president. “These young people had committed their lives to the service of our Lord. We trust him for their eternity and ours.”

All day and evening classes have been canceled, but offices will remain open. A missions conference previously scheduled for the week also has been canceled. A prayer service was held in the R.G. Lee Chapel on campus at 10 a.m. Sept. 25.
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