By Madina Toure
A senior at St. Francis Prep died following a car accident Friday night involving four other seniors, the school’s principal said.
Justin McClymont, a senior at St. Francis Prep at 61-00 Francis Lewis Blvd. in Fresh Meadows, attended International Night at the school Friday night where ethnic clubs got together for a celebration of food, dance and music, according to Patrick Mclaughlin, the school’s principal.
McClymont left the school with four other seniors and they got into a car accident on Northern State Parkway in Nassau County at about 11 p.m. that night, Mclaughlin said.
McClymont died, while two of the other seniors were seriously injured, according to a statement posted by the school on its website.
A transfer student who came to the school during his sophomore year, McClymont was involved in the school’s ethnic clubs, enjoyed basketball and took an interest in art, having signed up for art classes to fulfill the school’s elective requirement.
“He was having a typical senior year as any of our seniors would be and he was in the middle of the college selection process and it was certainly unfortunate and tragic,” Mclaughlin said. “The school is grieving.”
The school announced McClymont’s death to the student body early Monday morning and held at prayer service at Jmontabout 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium for the senior class.
Father Bill Sweeney said a prayer and Mclaughlin addressed the students. McClymont’s parents were also present at the service.
Mclaughlin said Monday was a “very, very difficult day” for the school.
“Now we’re moving toward remembrance and hope as we move forward to the future and the one thing that gets us through situations like this is we have the ability to include prayer in everything we do,” he said.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
