Four Pepperdine students killed in crash
Four women fatally struck by a vehicle along Pacific Coast…
Harding ministry student killed in crash
Three others were injured in the car wreck while returning from fall break.
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As students returning from fall break crowded into Harding University’s daily chapel on Monday, Avery Martin’s seat sat empty.
The 21-year-old senior Bible and family ministry major from Tulsa, Okla., was killed in an automobile accident on Sunday while driving back to Searcy, Ark., from Colorado.
Three other students — Bradley Cole, an integrated marketing communication major from Richardson, Texas; Lloyd Stenglein, an international business major from Apache Junction, Ariz.; and Ben Shappard, an interdisciplinary studies major from Boise, Idaho — were injured in the wreck.
Avery Martin and his fiancée Mckensey Davis in July.
Before gathering in prayer and song, President Mike Williams addressed the student body.
“In the aftermath of a tragic accident which took the life of Avery Martin and injured Ben, Bradley and Lloyd, words are really hard to come by,” Williams said. “When tragedies of this magnitude come, there is really only one path: The path that leads to God.”
Carol Martin, Avery’s grandmother, shared her sorrow on social media.
“He was studying to become a youth minister and was planning to get married in May,” Carol Martin posted on Facebook. “Avery was kind, caring and had the best sense of humor. He loved the Lord and showed the world that love every day. Our family will never be the same.”
Martin is survived by his parents, Nate and Lori Martin; his brothers, Addison and Asher Martin; his fiancée, Mckensey Davis; and many other family members.
The Student Government Association will host a candlelight service on the George S. Benson Auditorium steps from 8 to 9 p.m. Thursday.
