POSTED 1/2/07 AT 12:30 A.M.

Quinnipiac freshman Robert Bruce was killed Dec. 23 in a car accident in central Maine. Bruce, 19, was riding in a vehicle with three friends when it collided with another car heading in the opposite direction around midnight. All six people involved in the collision were killed.

Bruce, who lived in Lewiston, Maine, was a broadcast journalism major at Quinnipiac. He was returning home the night of the accident from visiting a former football teammate who was leaving for Iraq after the holidays, according to the Boston Globe.

In an e-mail statement to The Chronicle, Quinnipiac spokesman John Morgan said, “The university community was saddened to learn about the passing of Robert Bruce. He was a well-liked student whose presence on campus will be missed by those who knew him. The university extends its condolences to his family and friends.”

According to the Portland (Maine) Press Herald, rain and near-freezing temperatures had caused icy roads in the area that night. However, police had not yet ruled out other factors such as alcohol or excessive speed.

A funeral for Bruce was held Dec. 28 in Lewiston.