Tragedy marred the first day of the fall semester when an 18-year-old NIU student was fatally injured in a two-car accident Monday.

Dead is Kristine Conn, 15606 Lorel Ave., Oak Forest, Ill. Conn, who resided at 295 Douglas Hall, was a passenger in a car driven by Robert Rizzuto, 17, of 147395 Mission Ave., Oak Forest, Ill.

The accident occurred at the intersection of Annie Glidden Road and Lincoln Highway at 3:23 p.m. when the vehicle driven by Rizzuto made a left-hand turn onto Annie Glidden Road in front of oncoming traffic.

A car driven by NIU student Richard Bragg, 18, 1106 S. Second St., DeKalb, broadsided Rizzuto’s automobile on the passenger side, causing both vehicles to spin.

The roof of Rizzuto’s car had to be cut off in order to pull Conn out of the car, and she was rushed to Kishwaukee Community Hospital. Conn died after the accident.

Rizzuto also was rushed to Kishwaukee and sustained minor injuries.

Karen Pickett, supervisor at Kishwaukee, said she could not release any information about the victims yet.

Bragg was not injured.

Rizzuto was charged with making an improper left-hand turn and failing to wear a seatbelt.

DeKalb police released the traffic accident report but referred further questions to the police chief, who was not available Monday.

University Police Sgt. Richard Sheridan said the UPs were the first ones at the scene of the accident, and they assisted the DeKalb police in traffic control.