The family of a college student who survived serious injuries in the Boston Marathon bombing but who was killed in a car accident in Dubai over the weekend has released a statement. 

Victoria McGrath was killed Sunday, along with another Northeastern student, Priscilla Perez Torres, the Northeastern University confirmed Monday. 

McGrath and Torres were on a personal trip and not studying abroad.

McGrath, 23, received severe shrapnel injuries to her left leg from the first of two bombs placed near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013. Three people were killed and more than 260 others were injured in the bombing.

Bruce Mendelsohn, who was attending a post-marathon party in a building overlooking the finish line, rushed outside to help and saw McGrath lying on the ground, bleeding heavily from her left leg. Mendelsohn said he tied a scarf or T-shirt he found nearby around her leg as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, a move McGrath’s doctor later told him saved her life. Mendelsohn flagged down a firefighter, who carried McGrath away from the scene in what became one of the most widely used photographs from the bombing.

McGrath later tracked down her rescuers and formed friendships with them, Mendelsohn said.

"At the time, I was angry that anyone could do such a thing," Mendelsohn said of the bombing. "Now I’m angry that she’s been taken from us."

A Northeastern spokesman said McGrath was scheduled to graduate this spring from Northeastern’s school of business. She was originally from Weston, Connecticut.

On Tuesday, McGrath’s family released a statement: 

To the extended family and friends of Victoria McGrath –

Victoria McGrath is being remembered. This past weekend, Victoria died in a car accident while traveling abroad. Even as we are working through the pain, we, Victoria’s parents want to share a brief message. It is a message of faith and charity.

Victoria’s faith is strong and on display each day. Her faith is true, which is why we can rest assured that she is in Heaven now with our Lord God. This is a great source of comfort – to know that we did not say “good-bye” but rather “we will meet again."

Throughout her life, charity and caring for others is what motivated Victoria. Her compassion first revealed itself when she was working with underprivileged children and children with disabilities. In recent years, she had spent her time helping homecoming American Veterans who were recovering from trauma of their own. In a society that is abundant in support for troops but often lacks true understanding, Victoria’s voice was one that contained rare empathy, which comforted and motivated many people. This rare empathy was earned through her experience of recovering from the physical and non-physical injuries sustained in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Having said that, we would like to personally thank family, friends, Northeastern University, and the people of the City of Boston for the continued support and caring shown to the Boston Strong survivors. There are any number of ways that one can respond to tragedy, and the majority of the options can be destructive. What Victoria taught all of us was how, against the odds, to respond with determination, humility, and not a single note of bitterness. Let us gather our grief and understand what it truly is – a transmutation of our love for Victoria – and let that understanding motivate us to be constructive as we eventually emerge from this tragedy.

With that in mind, as an expression of our feelings for Victoria, we invite you to carry on the work she loved and to donate to Four Block, a non-profit organization that helps transitioning veterans. Donations made to Four Block in remembrance of Victoria will go directly toward building career readiness programs for returning Veterans in Boston, specifically to aid veterans transitioning into civilian jobs.

Donations can be made directly on the website (www.fourblock.org). After submitting the donation on the website, there is a space available to designate the donation in remembrance of Victoria

Victoria’s work continues. Thank you—

Jill and Jim McGrath, parents
 

The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi declined to comment.

Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun sent a letter Monday notifying the Northeastern community of the students’ death.

"She was devoted to helping others through leadership in student organizations and community service work," Aoun said of McGrath.

Torres, who was also scheduled to graduate this spring, came to Northeastern from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and was passionate about travel and working on issues related to nutrition and women’s health, Aoun said.

J.P. and Paul Norden, brothers who each lost a leg in the bombings, posted a photo of McGrath on their Facebook page.

"Life can change in an instant…we know this only too well. Those who survived the Boston Marathon bombings of April 15, 2013 all had a special bond…our hearts are heavy tonight after hearing that one of our fellow survivors lost their life in a car accident," reads a posting under the photo.

"A young energetic beautiful soul gone too soon…God bless you Victoria…until we meet again."

Monday afternoon, an email from Northeastern’s president was sent out: 

To all members of the Northeastern Community: 

It is with the deepest sadness that I write to inform you that Victoria McGrath, DMSB ’16, and Priscilla Perez Torres, COS ’16, have perished in a car accident while traveling overseas. Victoria and Priscilla were vibrant, beloved members of our community, and their passing leaves a grievous absence in our community and in our hearts. This is a heartbreaking loss to their families, friends, and to all of us in the Northeastern family. 

Victoria was from Weston, Connecticut, and survived severe injuries during the Boston Marathon bombing. She was devoted to helping others through leadership in student organizations and community service work. Priscilla came to Northeastern from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and was passionate about travel and working on issues related to nutrition and women’s health. Each were kind, talented young women, with exceptional futures before them. 

In times of tragedy, our community is the foundation of our resilience and the source of our strength. Should you need support, counseling and other resources are available from the Office of Student Affairs at 617-373-4384, wecare@neu.edu and the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service, at 617-373-2728 and csds@neu.edu.

May we all join together in sympathy and heartfelt support for the McGrath and Perez Torres families, and for Victoria’s and Priscilla’s friends and classmates. Victoria and Priscilla touched many of our lives, and we will miss them terribly. Our prayers are with their families and loved ones. 

Firefighter James Plourde, the firefighter who carried McGrath away from the bombing site, released a statement:

My family is devastated with the loss of our dearest friend Victoria McGrath and her roommate Priscilla Perez Torres. After the Boston Marathon Bombing Victoria become a major part of my life as well as my families. It’s been said that I helped to save her life, but the truth is Victoria saved my life after the marathon as her love, support  and friendship helped myself and my family deal with the acts of 4/15/13.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the McGrath and Perez Torres Family’s as they deal with this unimaginable tragedy. #BostonStrong
 

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