Crash prompts university to require insurance for international students

The nine-car crash that killed three Chinese graduate students last year has prompted Urbana University to require international students to purchase insurance that covers the cost of sending students' remains to their home countries.

The students were killed March 8, 2007, when a sport utility vehicle traveling 98 mph (158 kph) went airborne and landed on their car. All three were uninsured.

The new student health insurance policy provides emergency medical evacuation abroad for life-threatening illnesses and injuries, university President Robert Head said on Friday. Before the crash, carrying the insurance was not mandatory, he said.

The insurance also includes an accidental death clause that would pay up to $50,000 (euro31,654) for the return of students' remains to their respective countries.

The change affects about 50 international students at the liberal arts university and brings Urbana in line with nearby Ohio colleges and universities that offer international education programs.

The University of Dayton, Wittenberg University in Springfield and Wright State University in Fairborn also have insurance requirements for international students.

The Chinese students, who were pursuing master's degrees in business administration, were returning to campus from a shopping trip in Springfield in western Ohio. Jin Bian, 27, was driving and Bing Xue and Yan Sun, both 24, were in the back seat.

The university collected about $36,000 (euro22,791) to cover travel costs and other related expenses for the victims' families, Head said.

A second fund has been established within the university's budget to be donated through the Chinese embassy to the three families for them to utilize as they like.

Urbana is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Dayton.

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Information from: Urbana Daily Citizen, http://www.urbanacitizen.com