A Harding University student injured a crash near her home in Missouri earlier this month died Saturday, just over a week after the wreck, officials said.
Mary Joy Uebelein, 20, was a junior nursing major at Harding, located in Searcy, according to a statement from the university. The crash happened March 8, at around 7 p.m., on U.S. 67 east of De Soto, Mo. about an hour from her home, officials said.
Uebelein was returning home to Wildwood, Mo. for spring break along with her sister, also a Harding student, when their car was struck by a pickup. The vehicle veered across the centerline, hit a tractor-tralier, and was struck by another car, according to the university.
The 20-year-old's sister and another driver received minor injuries in the wreck, a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report shows.
“Because the Harding student body and the larger Harding family are so tightly-knit, the death of any student has a deep and profound impact on the entire campus,” Harding University President Bruce McLarty wrote in a statement. “Even those who did not personally know Mary Joy know someone who knew her well.”
Uebelein, a member of Delta Gamma Rho, “was known as a light to all who knew her and will be deeply missed," according to the statement.
McLarty announced on Monday that a vigil honoring the student will be held on the steps of Benson Auditorium Tuesday night. A memorial will be held on Thursday, officials said.