PORT ANGELES — The two people who died in a collision at the Morse Creek “S” curve on U.S. Highway 101 east of Port Angeles were international students at Peninsula College.
Chi-Kan Cheung, a 21-year-old man who was driving the 1998 Ford Escort four-door sedan that collided at 10:04 p.m. with a 2000 Ford Focus sedan, and a back-seat passenger, Duo Li, a 20-year-old woman, both died at the scene of the crash.
One student injured
Ho P. Ng, a 20-year-old man who was also a passenger in the Escort, suffered rib and chest injuries and was in satisfactory condition at Olympic Medical Center late on Sunday.
All three are Chinese citizens and were attending Peninsula College as international students.
“This is such a tragic event because they were young kids who were halfway around the world from their homes and so full of energy and hope,” said Peninsula College President Tom Keegan.
“Our hearts go out to their families in China.”
Keegan said that although the quarter ended last week, the college had counselors on hand to help students and other community members who knew the two young people who died.
“The international student population is such a tight-knit group,” Keegan said.
“Many of the students have already returned home and many are leaving in the next couple of days.
“We do have counseling services ready to go to look after them and for those who stay with their host families throughout the break.
“We will also have counselors at the ready for students when they return next quarter.”
Peninsula College, which has about 90 international students, has several agreements with colleges and universities in China.
It was unclear on Sunday night which program the students were participating in.
Guilin University of Electronic Technology, which is located in the city of Guilin, sends a professor to Peninsula College to teach Chinese language classes each year and also sends two or three visiting scholars for one quarter annually.
Guangxi Vocational and Technical Institute of Industry, a junior college in Nanning, the capital city of the Guangxi Zhuang region in China, also has an agreement with Peninsula College for student exchange.
Guangdong AIB Polytechnic College, a junior college in Guangzhou City of Guangdong province in China, occasionally participates in a faculty exchange as well as short-term training programs for students.
The State Patrol notified the Chinese Consulate in Seattle.
Also injured were the driver of the Focus, Douglas L. Krocker, 43, of Sequim, and his wife, Cherie A. Krocker, 44. Both were taken to Olympic Medical Center, where they were treated and discharged.
The State Patrol said the car driven by Cheung was westbound on the Morse Creek curve, apparently going too fast, and crossed the double-yellow centerline and delineator posts. It spun, colliding with the eastbound car driven by Krocker.
A memo issued by the agency said all involved except Li were wearing seat belts, and that drugs and alcohol don’t appear to be involved.
Despite the recent cold weather, ice on the road does not appear to be a factor, State Patrol spokeswoman Krista Hedstrom said.
“We believe they were simply going too fast for that curve,” she said.
The highway was blocked at Milepost 252 from the time of the wreck at about 10 p.m. on Saturday until about 1 a.m. Sunday morning.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office provided a pilot car to move through traffic along one unaffected lane until the state Department of Transportation could take over that function.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
