Campus Alert Archive
MMA

Four Cadets Killed on Last Day of Semester: A Range Rover at 100 MPH on Route 166 Takes Four Maine Maritime Lives

MEotheradvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

In the early hours of December 10, 2022, four Maine Maritime Academy cadets were killed and three others injured when an SUV traveling at over 100 mph struck a tree and burst into flames on Route 166 in Castine. The single-vehicle crash occurred after the last day of classes for the fall semester. The victims were Brian Kenealy, 20, of York, ME; Chase Fossett, 21, of Gardiner, ME; Luke Simpson, 22, of Rockport, MA; and Riley Ignacio-Cameron, 20, of Aquinnah, MA. Maine Maritime President Jerry Paul issued a campus notification and counseling services were made immediately available.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
4
Injured
3
Institution
Maine Maritime Academy
Public Bachelors · ME
~950 studentsMMA-ALERT
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction314 chars
Maine Maritime Academy was notified by Maine State Police of a single vehicle accident off campus in Castine, which included several Academy students. Maine Maritime Academy is working to verify the names of those involved. Counseling is available on campus. We will share more information as it becomes available.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The crash occurred at approximately 2:00 AM EST on Saturday, December 10, 2022, after the final day of fall semester classes; the Academy was notified by Maine State Police shortly thereafter
Maine Maritime Academy President Jerry S. Paul issued a statement: 'I am devastated to confirm that today Maine Maritime Academy lost four of our students in a single-vehicle accident'
The Academy's MMA-ALERT system is powered by e2campus and sends urgent notifications to registered email accounts and mobile devices via SMS; counseling services were activated immediately on campus
FOLLOW-UPEmail
Approximate reconstruction412 chars
Maine Maritime Academy confirms that four students were killed in this morning's single-vehicle accident on Route 166 in Castine. The names of those lost will be shared with the campus community once next of kin have been notified. Three additional students were injured and are receiving medical care. Grief counseling is available in Leavitt Hall. We ask the community to hold these families in their thoughts.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The four victims were identified as Brian Kenealy, 20 (York, ME), Chase Fossett, 21 (Gardiner, ME), Luke Simpson, 22 (Rockport, MA), and Riley Ignacio-Cameron, 20 (Aquinnah, MA)
The driver, Joshua Goncalves-Radding of North Babylon, NY, was driving under the influence of alcohol at over 100 mph when he lost control of the 2013 Range Rover on Route 166, which struck a tree and immediately caught fire
Castine is a small coastal town of fewer than 1,500 residents where the Academy is the dominant institution; four student deaths in a single accident represented an extraordinarily acute community trauma
Context

Background

Maine Maritime Academy is a public maritime college in Castine, Maine, enrolling approximately 950 cadets in programs leading to U.S. Coast Guard licenses and degrees in maritime, engineering, and management fields. On December 10, 2022 -- the last day of the fall semester -- a 2013 Range Rover driven by Joshua Goncalves-Radding of North Babylon, New York, was traveling south on Route 166 (Shore Road) at more than 100 mph when it left the roadway and struck a tree. The vehicle immediately burst into flames, killing four of the seven occupants. A criminal investigation determined that Goncalves-Radding was driving while intoxicated and that passenger Noelle Tavares had purchased alcohol using a fake ID and handed Goncalves-Radding the keys, leading to her later prosecution as a co-conspirator. Tavares pleaded guilty in November 2024. The Academy is located in Castine, a town where the academy accounts for a substantial share of the year-round population, meaning the tragedy reverberated deeply through both the institutional community and the surrounding town.
Analysis

Key Findings

This is the deadliest single off-campus vehicle crash in Maine Maritime Academy's recorded history, killing four cadets on the last night of the fall semester
The Academy's notification followed the standard pattern for off-campus incidents: await State Police confirmation, issue community notice, activate counseling, disclose identities only after next-of-kin notification
The small size of MMA and Castine (combined population of students and residents) amplifies the psychological impact of a mass-casualty event -- nearly the entire community knew the victims personally
The criminal prosecution of both the driver and a non-driving passenger as a co-conspirator set a notable legal precedent in Maine for accountability in DUI-related fatalities
Outcome
Four cadets killed, three injured. Driver later convicted. Passenger charged as co-conspirator for supplying alcohol and keys.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Vehicle Accident in Castine - December 10, 2022 (Maine Maritime Academy Campus Safety)
    mainemaritime.edu
  2. News
    Four Maine Maritime Academy students killed in single-vehicle crash in Castine
    pressherald.com
  3. News
    4 Maine Maritime Academy students killed in fiery crash, including 2 from Mass.
    cbsnews.com
  4. News
    Passenger charged in fatal 2022 crash that killed 4 Maine Maritime students takes plea deal
    bangordailynews.com
  5. News
    Community mourns Maine Maritime students killed in Castine crash
    newscentermaine.com
Tags
vehicle-crashfatalitymaritime-academymainedrunk-drivingoff-campuscastineend-of-semestercriminal-prosecutioncommunity-trauma
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion