A beautiful woman from Brooklyn was among three Boston University students killed when their minivan rolled over on a New Zealand road during a visit to sites featured in the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy.
Daniela Lekhno, who lived in Sheepshead Bay before moving to New Jersey, died after a vehicle carrying seven pals drifted to the side and then flipped as the driver tried to regain control.
Lekhno, 20, a junior studying business, tweeted in January about how excited she was to head off to New Zealand.
“New Year New Adventure New Zealand . . . but already missing some old friends,” she wrote.
In addition to the three deaths, five others were injured, one seriously.
The tragedy left friends at their school devastated.
“They were all so excited to be able to go explore what many guidebooks . . . have called some of the most beautiful places on the planet,” said BU student-body president Howard Male.
A fellow business student told Boston University Today how talented Lekhno was.
“She was just honestly the brightest person,” recalled Joshua Wright.
“Although she was quiet, every single time she smiled, every time she laughed, you knew it was just so genuine.
“It’s really hard to lose such bright people, such positive people,” he said.
One of her best friends from high school in Manalapan, NJ, said Lekhno “was beautiful inside and out.”
Meri Reiter, 20, told the Star Ledger of Newark how Lekhno had for years dreamed about visiting New Zealand and would use Facebook to update her pals on her adventures.
Also killed in the crash were Austin Brashears, 21, from Huntington Beach, Calif., and Roch Jauberty, 21, from Paris.
Margaret Theriault was airlifted from the scene to a nearby hospital where she was listed in critical condition.
Four other students suffered less serious injuries.