Rochester,NY : Rochester student Robert Park dies in Cleveland car crash just before holiday break on December, Tuesday 19th 2017

A week of holiday celebrations turned tragic for a Rochester family as they learned about their son's fatal car crash in Cleveland Tuesday morning.

Robert Andrew Park, 20, died in a one-car crash on Route 20 in Cleveland shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday when he fell asleep at the wheel, according to his dad, Rob Park. His parents, Rob and Gloribel Arvelo-Park, were notified later Tuesday morning.

Robert Park was always anxious before an examination and went to a beach park area to unwind, his father said. His last examination was to be Tuesday at noon at Case Western Reserve University, where he is a junior studying accounting and business. He was set to drive home for the holidays to see his family after the final exams on Wednesday, his father said.

Robert Park's Subaru Outback crashed into a train overpass on a steep curve. Initial analysis from the scene of the accident by police determined that Robert Park fell asleep, his father said.


Robert Park graduated from Canandaigua Academy in 2015. He is well known in the local ski circles and worked at The Ski Company as well as Wegmans.

"He had a passion for skiing," his father recalled. "He raced for his team in Canandaigua."

Robert Park was born in Rochester and the family moved to Canandaigua before moving back to Rochester's Cobbs Hill neighborhood in 2016. Robert Park was known for his love of music and food, actively exploring the food scene in Cleveland while studying there. He was also a member of Theta Chi at Case Western and was involved with Engineers Without Borders.

Robert Park is survived by his parents and his sister, Victoria Park, who currently lives in Washington, D.C. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary Church, 95 N. Main St., Canandaigua.

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Rochester student Robert Park dies in Cleveland car crash just before holiday break