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Horrifying Video of Wrong-Way Crash and Explosion That Killed Four USF Students

Early Sunday morning a 2001 Ford Expedition sped onto Interstate 295 going the wrong way and exploded into a 2010 Hyundai Sonata, killing all four University of South Florida students inside. According to video obtained by Live Leak, a woman named Jada Wright was following the Ford Expedition's trajectory heading...
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Early Sunday morning a 2001 Ford Expedition sped onto Interstate 295 going the wrong way and exploded into a 2010 Hyundai Sonata, killing all four University of South Florida students inside.

According to video obtained by Live Leak, a woman named Jada Wright was following the Ford Expedition's trajectory heading South on the Northbound lanes. She can be heard gasping, "What is he doing?" Then, moments later: a horrific explosion. Wright screams, "Oh my God! Oh my God!"

The Florida Highway Patrol reports the occupants of the car were Jobin Kuriakose, 21, of Orlando; Ankeet Patel, 22, of Melbourne; Imtiyaz Ilias, 20, of Fort Myers, and Dammie Yesudhas, 21, of Melbourne.

Each belonged to USF's Sigma Beta Rho fraternity.

The crash occurred just after the Ford Expedition, which was going well over 70 miles per hour, climbed a small hill. That meant drivers heading the opposite direction had little to no time to react.

The wrong-way driver was also killed in the crash. He hasn't been identified. It's unclear whether he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The crash is reminiscent of an additional South Florida tragedy when 20-year-old Kayla Mendoza caused a wrong-way crash that killed two young women -- hours after tweeting "2 drunk 2 care."

The video was first uploaded to Facebook, but in the last 24 hours it has gone viral on Reddit and on Live Leak. Investigators, according to the Tampa Bay Times, are currently trying to locate the woman who filmed the video for interviews.

Wright removed the video yesterday at 6 p.m. "RIP to the fallen angels from my video last night," she wrote on her Facebook page. "My deepest condolences to their families."

Send your story tips to author, Terrence McCoy or follow him on Twitter.

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