Kevin E. King, a 20-year-old man with a reputation for quiet generosity, was a student at Hudson Valley Community College in his hometown of Troy, New York. A proud graduate of La Salle Institute, Kevin was known by friends and family for his immense kindness. His character was such that after his death, a homeless man attended his wake to tell his family that every weekend, while waiting for a cab, Kevin would empty his pockets of any money he had left and give it to him for food.
On
the weekend of November 11, 2000, Kevin was visiting Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. He was spending time with his best friend from home, Robert Koester, who was a junior at the university. On that Saturday, in the early morning hours, Koester was driving a Jeep with Kevin and another friend, Chris Rea, as passengers. It was a cold and rainy night on the campus in central New York.
Around 2 a.m., Koester stopped to offer a ride to four young women who were walking to avoid the rain: Colgate first-year student Katherine "Katie" Almeter, and her two high school friends, Emily Collins and Rachel Nargiso, who were visiting for the weekend. The seven young people continued up Oak Drive, a main road on the campus lined with large oak trees. Only moments later, about 150 feet from where he had picked up the women, Koester lost control of the vehicle. The Jeep sped off the slick road and crashed violently into a tree.
The impact of the crash was devastating. Kevin King, Katherine Almeter, Emily Collins, and Rachel Nargiso were all pronounced dead at the scene. Two other passengers, Chris Rea and Colgate student Elke Wagle, survived with injuries. The driver, Robert Koester, sustained only minor injuries. The investigation by the New York State Police quickly determined the crash was alcohol-related. Koester, who had been drinking at a fraternity party and a downtown bar, was found to have a blood-alcohol content of.17, more than twice the legal limit at the time.
Koester was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and four counts of second-degree vehicular manslaughter. He was ultimately sentenced to a term of one and a third to four years in prison, of which he served two and a half years. Many of the victims' family members publicly expressed their belief that the sentence was far too lenient for the loss of four young lives. The tragedy prompted significant changes at Colgate University, including the implementation of a campus-wide safe-ride cruiser service and a zero-tolerance drunk driving policy.
In the years that followed, the memories of Kevin and the other victims have been honored in numerous ways. A traveling exhibition titled "Friends: One Day, One Wrong Turn" was created to educate students about the devastating consequences of drunk driving. The exhibit featured personal mementos, photographs, and stories of the four students, creating an intimate portrait of their promising lives. Among the items displayed for Kevin was a photograph of him with former President Bill Clinton, highlighting a memorable moment in his life.
On the Colgate campus, a permanent memorial was dedicated in November 2007 at the site of the crash on Oak Drive. A stone plaque honors the lives of Kevin, Katie, Emily, and Rachel. A student-designed project featuring laser-engraved portraits of each victim was also installed nearby. To honor his memory in his hometown, his family established the Kevin E. King Memorial Scholarship at his alma mater, La Salle Institute in Troy. As of November 2007, the case was legally closed, but the memory of the four students, including the young man with a big heart, continues to be a powerful reminder of a life cut short.
