An Ohio family crashed on a North Carolina highway on Aug. 15, killing the parents and seriously injuring two of their children, according to officials and a family statement.
Donald and Maria Nunney were pronounced dead after they crashed on Interstate 40 in Orange County, North Carolina, shortly after 1 p.m. local time on Aug. 15, Christopher Knox, first sergeant for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP), confirmed to USA TODAY.
Donald was driving and Maria Nunney was a passenger in a Honda Odyssey traveling east on I-40 when the vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway. The van struck several small trees and traveled down an embankment before colliding with a large tree, Knox said.
A 15-year-old and 9-year-old were also in the car, and they were hospitalized with injuries after the crash, Knox said. A GoFundMe page for the family said the couple’s 15-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son “are healing from major trauma and injuries.”
Knox said officers do not know why the family was in the area, and the crash is under investigation.
Maria Nunney’s brother, Sandro Galindo, wrote in a GoFundMe post that the couple shared four children: a 19-year-old son, an 18-year-old son, a 15-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son.
The two younger children, who were involved in the crash, were still hospitalized with injuries as of Aug. 20, but are expected to make a full recovery, Galindo said.
“Maria and Donald were more than amazing and loving parents. They were also a devoted son and daughter, siblings, caring teachers, and friends,” the GoFundMe page reads. “They gave so much of themselves to their students and their community.”
Galindo added, “Maria and Donald leave behind a legacy of community, family, and love, all rooted in the devotion they had for their children and their family.”
Donald and Maria Nunney were both teachers in Cleveland, Ohio, Jon Benedict, communications officer for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, told USA TODAY in a statement.
Donald Nunney was a teacher at Joseph M. Gallagher School, a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school in Cleveland. Maria Nunney was a teacher at Wilbur Wright School, another elementary school in the district, Benedict said.
“We have had additional counselors and resources on hand to support the student and staff communities at the many schools impacted by their loss,” Benedict said. “Out of respect for the family’s wishes, that’s all we’re prepared to say at this very difficult time, other than to say that our hearts are with them at this tragic moment.”
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said in a statement on social media that he is extending condolences to the Nunney’s family.
“The impact of their work extended far beyond the classroom, shaping young minds, inspiring future leaders, and touching countless hearts across our city,” Bibb’s statement reads.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com. 

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