David Fry was driving from a rave party in New Albany, Ind., about 7 a.m. Saturday when he saw a car about 400 meters ahead of him show its break lights and then burst into flames.
He quickly pulled his car over alongside other travelers on I-64 in Shelby County and began running toward the burning vehicle.
"I had no idea what that was," Fry said, during a phone interview last night. "The last thing I thought of was that this would be somebody I knew."
For a moment as he was running, Fry saw flames streak from the car's left side. When he got closer, he recognized the shooting flames as a friend, UK student Timothy Sebree, who was the driver and only survivor of the one-car accident that claimed four lives. Sebree and his passengers were returning from the same party as Fry.
Lexington Community College student Kevin Prenatt, 24, and UK student Jenny Stovall, 20, died in the accident. Two Paul Laurence Dunbar High School students, Ross Kemper and Kristopher Gordon, both 16, also died in the crash.
A University of Louisville hospital spokeswoman said Sebree, a biology sophomore, was admitted into the burn unit and was listed in critical condition last night.
Sebree apparently fell asleep as he was driving, said state police officials. The car ran off the road, struck the guard rail and overturned. When it came to a rest, it immediately burst into flames. Sebree escaped and rolled into the grass to extinguish the flames.
Fry said most of the party's crowd was experienced in driving long distances for the events. Once many of the same group drove to St. Louis for a party.
"We took it for granted that we'd be tired," said Fry, an Army staff sergeant from Ft. Campbell, Ky.
Prenatt's mother, Susan Prenatt, said yesterday her son was planning to graduate this spring with two computer science degrees.
Kevin loved the rave parties, his mother said, because he was with his friends - and especially because of the dancing.
"He loved to dance," she said.
Fry, who knew Prenatt for about six months, agreed. "He was a dancer," Fry said, "and he was damn good."
Stovall, a fashion marketing sophomore, had worked for a short time as a model in New York, family friend Kathy Dwayne said. Stovall also appeared on the cover of the Kentucky Kernel's Spring Break advertising supplement last year.
"She was a beautiful person," Dwayne said. "Totally, totally unaware of how pretty she was."
Dwayne said she had learned Stovall came to the party in another car and left with Sebree because it was the first car she saw leaving.
Both families were not certain of the victims' identities until dental records confirmed the names yesterday afternoon.
UK President Charles Wethington released a short statement yesterday regarding the deaths.
"The entire University community is saddened and deeply grieved by this tragic accident involving our students. We extend our condolences to the families and want them to know they will certainly be in our hearts and our prayers."
University spokesman Ralph Derickson said no memorial services had been planned by UK.
Dunbar Principal Jon Akers said his school also had no plans for a memorial service for the two high school students.
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