DEWITT, N.Y. -- The lone survivor of a one-car crash Thursday morning near Clark Reservation State Park that claimed the lives of two Syracuse University students has been identified.
Jiarui Chen, 22, was in the front seat of a Dodge Charger when the eastbound car went off the north shoulder of East Seneca Turnpike and struck a tree around 12:39 a.m. Thursday.
Crews extricated Chen from the wreck and rushed him to Upstate University Hospital. His injuries are not considered life-threatening, Onondaga County Sheriff's Detective Jon Seeber said.
The driver, 23-year-old Chengye Hou and rear seat passenger, 23-year-old Yifan Tao, were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Imprudent speed was a contributing factor in the crash, Seeber said. The crash remains under investigation.
Tao and Hou, both natives of China, were graduate students at Syracuse University, pursuing master's degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Both were expected to graduate in 2017, according to SU.
Chen is also a Syracuse University student, Seeber said.
