PORT ANGELES — The parents of Chinese student Duo Li, who died in a U.S. Highway 101 collision Dec. 12, arrived in Port Angeles on Friday, escorted from Seattle by Peninsula College staff members.
Li, a 20-year-old woman from Nanning, China, who was attending Peninsula College, was riding in the back seat of a car headed west toward Port Angeles when it crossed the centerline on the Morse Creek curve and hit a car heading east carrying a Sequim couple, Douglas and Cherie Krocker.
Li and the driver of the car, Chi-Kan Cheung, 21, of Hong Kong — who was also a second-year student at Peninsula College — were pronounced dead at the scene of the 10:04 p.m. wreck. The State Patrol said that Cheung apparently was traveling too fast.
Peninsula College President Tom Keegan said that Li’s parents had requested privacy, so he could not release information about their plans while in Port Angeles.
Members of Cheung’s family were in Port Angeles on Thursday for a funeral service and to make arrangements to have their son’s remains returned home, the State Patrol said.
They spoke with officials at the community college based in Port Angeles and with State Patrol troopers and left flowers at the site of the crash, the State Patrol said.
Peninsula College staff members picked up members of both families as they arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and have accompanied them throughout their stay in Port Angeles, serving as liaisons with the State Patrol and the funeral home, Keegan said.
“We have over 10 staff members assigned to help the families from the moment they arrive in Seattle,” Keegan said.
“They are helping with visa/international travel arrangements, travel to and from the airport to Port Angeles, travel to all sites in the Port Angeles area and lodging arrangements.
Counselors have met with students most “immediately impacted by this tragedy,” Keegan said.
Many students had returned home for a break, since the fall quarter had ended, he said, but those who want counseling services upon their return for the winter quarter will get them.
“Additionally, host families have generously opened their homes for students to gather, share, and be together during this difficult time,” Keegan said.
Popular with peers
Li and Cheung were popular with their peers, Keegan said, and an extensive network of host families are engaged in activities for international students.
“As a result, the loss of Duo Li and Chi-Kan Cheung has been devastating to faculty, staff, students and members of the local community,” he said.
Dignitaries from the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco met with both families.
Keegan said that college staff has worked with the Chinese consul general to make necessary arrangements.
“The work and dedication of the consul general is impressive and I am grateful for all of the assistance he and his staff are providing.
“Our primary focus now is to support the families of Duo Li and Chi-Kan Cheung,” he added.
Ron Chow, who until this month was a member of the state Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, also was in contact with Li’s family, he said.
The Tacoma man said he had moved to the United States from Hong Kong 31 years ago and has made trips back since.
He said that many who live in Hong Kong drive very little because of the availability of public transportation.
“Hong Kong is like New York City and Washington, D.C.,” he said. “You don’t need a vehicle.”
Others treated
Ho P. Ng, a 20-year-old Chinese student who was a passenger in the car driven by Cheung, suffered rib and chest injuries in the crash. He was released from Olympic Medical Center on Wednesday.
The Krockers — both in their early 40s — were treated at OMC and discharged the night of the wreck.
The Peninsula College Foundation has set up a memorial fund to help pay for travel expenses for the students’ families.
Fund donations can be sent to the Peninsula College Foundation’s Cheung/Li Memorial Fund, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles, WA 98382.