More than a year after the car accident that led to the death of three Eastern students, Christine L. Miller, former Sunset Hills police officer, pled guilty to four counts of first degree involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault in the second degree on Thursday.

Priya Darshini Muppavarapu, Anusha Anumolu, Anitha Lakshmi Veerapaneni, Nitesh Adusumilli and Satya Chinta were driving in Adusumilli’s car when Miller, under the influence of alcohol, crashed into their car on Dougherty Ferry Road in St. Louis County.

Adusumilli survived while the four passengers, three of whom were Eastern students, were killed in the crash.

Muppavarapu, Anumolu and Veerapaneni had been pursuing master’s degrees in technology at Eastern before their lives had been ended.

Peter Ping Liu, graduate coordinator in the technology department, still remembers the day. Muppavarapu called him requesting admission to Eastern’s graduate technology program. In the background, Liu said he heard the voices of Muppavarapu’s friends Anumolu and Veerapaneni, who were accepted into the program as well.

The three woman, international students from India, attended Eastern, but their studies were cut short on March 21, 2009, when Miller’s car collided with the car the three women were in.

Liu, said the news of the crash saddened him.

“Their life was lost forever. It’s kind of difficult for anyone to accept that fact,” he said.

Miller’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, refrained from commenting on the case until after sentencing scheduled for March 10.

After reading an article on the case, Liu said he felt like the legal system is working how it is supposed to.

“I’m glad that the legal system is just exercising its due process,” he said.

Sam Bohne can be reached

at 581-2812 or shbohne@eiu.edu.