CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A private plane on the way to the Catskills for a birthday and passover holiday celebration crashed in a muddy field near the Massachusetts border on Saturday, killing all six people on board.
A close-knit family of physicians and distinguished recent MIT student-athletes, Karenna Groff and James Santoro.
“Still couldn’t believe it was true. I still don’t believe it’s true.”
John Santoro, James’ father, says his son first met Groff as a freshman at MIT. Groff, a graduate of Weston High, was an All-American soccer player studying biomedical engineering at MIT and was named the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year.
“Karenna was a fantastic person,” Santoro said, “and after you met her parents, it became pretty clear where she got it from.”
James, who grew up in New Jersey, played lacrosse for MIT.
A spokesperson for MIT released this statement:
Sadly, I can confirm that Michael Groff, MD, was pursuing an Executive MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and his daughter, Karenna Groff, is an MIT alumna. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering in 2022 and a Master of Engineering (M.Eng) in Biological Engineering in 2023. While at MIT, Karenna was also the second MIT student-athlete ever to earn NCAA Woman of the Year honors. I can confirm that James Santoro is also an MIT alumnus. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 2022.
Our deepest condolences are with the impacted families and with all those who knew the deceased. Focused outreach and conversations are taking place to offer care and support within our community. As ever, we are encouraging any members of the MIT community who may be affected by these deaths to reach out for support. A comprehensive list of student support resources is accessible at https://doingwell.mit.edu/support/. MyLife Services is among the resources available to all others on campus who may feel affected, with more information at https://health.mit.edu/mit-mit/employees/employee-support-programs.
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According to Santoro, the couple were excited to embark on a new chapter in New York City after both graduating from MIT, and were planning to get engaged this summer.
He recalls sharing the excitement with Groff’s parents this past holiday season, neuroscientist Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini, a urogynecologist, natives of Weston, also killed in the tragic crash.
He says the young couple’s life together had just embarked on a new chapter in Manhattan, where Groff enrolled in medical school at New York University, and Santoro worked as an investment associate for a hedge fund.
This grieving father is now trying to lean on the joy they shared and brought to the lives of others.
“Try to keep that in mind to inspire us while we’re all saddened by the prospect of the future without them.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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