2 COAST GUARD ACADEMY CADETS KILLED IN SPRING BREAK CRASH

03/08/2015

NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) — Two Coast Guard Academy cadets killed in a spring break car crash in New Jersey were international students from the Republic of Georgia, a spokesman said Sunday.

David Santos told The Day of New London (http://bit.ly/1NxB8bA) that 1st Class Cadet Soso Makaridze and 3rd Class Cadet Bersarian Gorjoladze died in the crash.

Santos said they were passengers in a car driven by 1st Class Cadet Joel MacArthur, 21, of Oley, Pennsylvania. MacArthur was treated for injuries and released from a hospital, Santos said.

New Jersey authorities said MacArthur's car collided with an oncoming car on Route 31 in Hopewell Township early Saturday. Two people in the second car were injured.

Santos said counseling will be offered and memorial services planned when students return March 15.

Just last week, 1st Class cadets found out their post-graduation assignments. Makaridze was returning home to serve in the Georgian Air Force.

"The Academy community is grieving the loss of two of our cadets," Superintendent Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened by their passing and are fully committed to helping the Corps of Cadets cope with this tragedy."

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