“The world lost a bright star.”
That is how Leah Samuel Berhanu’s sister, Rebecca, described her sibling in a quote provided to The Dominion Post. It’s the word “bright” that stands out. It’s a word several who knew Leah used to described the WVU student and Trinity Christian School grad: The girl with the mile-wide smile.
Sadly, that young woman died Feb. 1 after being hit by a vehicle while in the intersection of Patteson Drive and Morrill Way. According to Morgantown Police, Leah, 21, was struck by a Ford Explorer at about 6:30 p.m.
Leah was taken to Ruby Memorial, where she died. On Feb. 2, police identified Leah as the victim in the incident. Morgantown Police, WVU Police, Morgantown Fire and Mon Health EMS responded to the scene. Crews closed Patteson for hours while officers investigated.
The incident remains under investigation, as well as a determination if charges will be filed.
Leah was a Morgantown native and 2014 graduate of Trinity Christian School, according to her family. Relatives were too distraught to talk about Leah on Friday, but did share some thoughts with The Dominion Post.
While at Trinity, Leah played basketball and was in honors society.
She is survived by two sisters, Rebecca and Yohanna, as well as her parents, Samuel and Seble.
Leah studied engineering at WVU’s Benjamin M. Statler of College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. She had an internship with Thrasher Engineering and worked with Adventure WV.
The Berhanus said that Leah loved to make people laugh, she loved to sing with her sisters, and she was very close to her family.
Adventure WV Director Nathan Harlan said Leah started working with the group in 2015. She served as a leader of first-year student trips and with the outdoors course.
He said Leah was good at disarming first-year students, talking to them as they transitioned to college.
“She was incredibly bright,” he said, adding that she was always smiling.
WVU Engineering Professor Gary Winn said he taught Leah in a construction safety class, one in which many civil engineering students enroll. As a student, Leah was extremely capable and punctual. But, he also talked about Leah as a person.
“She had a mile-wide smile,” Winn said.
A previous incident
Leah was killed at the site of a previous pedestrian-vehicle fatal vehicle collision. In 2013, Joseph Dzuris, also a WVU student, died in an early morning hit-and-run near the same intersection. The Dzuris incident happened before highway crews created dedicated crosswalks and a dedicated traffic light at Morrill Way and Patteson.
Divison of Highways officials added the light and crosswalk as part of WVU’s revitalization efforts to the area and Evansdale Campus. Morrill Way was a new road that led to areas such as the rec center and Student Health.
WVU Police Chief Bob Roberts said they want to let the investigation into Thursday’s incident conclude before considering changes to the intersection. For example, if it was determined to be human error, there isn’t an engineering fix.
Roberts also shared some tips for pedestrian and drivers. Pedestrians should try to wear reflective or bright clothing. They could have a flashlight during dark or rainy times; visibility can be difficult even with lighting in the area.
Division of Highways Spokesman Brent Walker said their hearts go out to the victim’s family, but like law enforcement, they were going to wait for more information before talking about specifics for the area.
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