Fatal Plane Crash in Upstate NY Claims Lives of NCAA Woman of the Year Recipient and Her Family
A tragic plane crash occurred in upstate New York on Saturday, claiming the lives of a close-knit family of physicians and accomplished student athletes. The group, on their way to celebrate a birthday and Passover holiday in the Catskills, perished when their twin-engine Mitsubishi aircraft went down in a muddy field near the Massachusetts border. The passengers included Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player who was recently honored with the NCAA Woman of the Year award; her neuroscientist father, Dr. Michael Groff; her mother, urogynecologist Dr. Joy Saini; Karenna's boyfriend, James Santoro; her brother, and his girlfriend. Described as a remarkable family by James Santoro, the tragedy has left those close to them devastated. Karenna Groff, hailing from Weston, Massachusetts, was an outstanding soccer player and biomedical engineering student, who during the pandemic co-founded openPPE to help essential workers with innovative mask designs. Following graduation, Karenna and James moved to Manhattan where Karenna began medical school at NYU, while James worked at a hedge fund. Their fatal journey began from White Plains airport, culminating in the tragic crash near the Columbia County Airport. Investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board is underway, with funeral preparations also in progress. James Santoro expressed deep sorrow for losing his son James and remembered the amazing 25 years they had together.
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