A tight-knit family of doctors and student-athletes tragically died in a plane crash in Copake, New York, this past weekend. The private Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft was en route to the Catskills for a birthday and Passover celebration when it crashed in a muddy field, killing all six aboard.
Among the victims were:
- Karenna Groff, former MIT soccer player and 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year
- James Santoro, her boyfriend and fellow MIT graduate
- Dr. Michael Groff, a Harvard-affiliated neurosurgeon and pilot
- Dr. Joy Saini, a respected urogynecologist
- Jared Groff, Karenna’s brother
- Alexia Duarte, Jared’s girlfriend
Before the crash, the pilot reported a missed approach and received no further response despite warnings about low altitude. The aircraft was intact before descending steeply into the ground.
Karenna and James had moved to Manhattan, where she studied at NYU’s medical school and he worked in finance. Karenna had also co-founded a PPE project during the pandemic and was honored at Fenway Park in 2023.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the NTSB. The loss has left families and communities devastated, remembering the victims as exceptional people who had much more to give to the world.
