Student Tells Own Story of Terrorism

Steven Benitez, freshman business administration major. Benitez lost family in plane crash considered to be a terrorist attack that occured two weeks after terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers. Photo by Jonathan McFadden • mcfaddenj@mytjnow.comBy Amanda Phipps
phippsa@mytjnow.com

September 11, 2001 caused a silence around the nation as the Twin Towers were attacked. The U.S. stood in shock after such a tragic event, but this event affected other parts of the world as well, as one student experienced first hand. 

Freshman international business major Steven Benitez was living in the Dominican Republic when 9/11 struck his family with grief and shock. 

Two weeks later, another tragedy hit. A few weeks after the 9/11 attacks, a family friend of Benitez’s mother boarded a flight from New Jersey with her family that was headed to the Dominican Republic. They never made it. 

The friend, her two children and mother, were killed as the plane went down off the coast ten minutes after takeoff, Benitez said.

“Nobody made it,” he said. 

Though the reason for the crash remained undetermined, it was assumed to be a terrorist attack, Benitez said. He has a different idea about how the crash happened. 

“I think it was a technical difficulty,” he said. 

Benitez said the plane had some turbulence before the crash. 

He said it is a taboo to fly on a Tuesday in the Dominican republic. The incident occurred on a Tuesday. 

For three to four weeks after the tragedy occurred, Benitez said his church had constant prayers for the people who lost friends and loved ones. 

“All I could remember was my mom was distraught,” he said. 

Benitez said his family held a gathering at their house for everyone who lost someone in the tragedy as well. The event lasted a couple of days. 

The crash was published across the East coast, he said. 

“To this day, some people consider it to be a terrorist attack,” he said. 

The 9/11 attacks affected Benitez’s everyday life as well. The event showed up in the news on September 12, Benitez said. He said it changed things at the bilingual school he used to attend. 

He said some of the children came from New York City and other states in the U.S. 

“Nothing felt the same after that day,” he said. 

Benitez had some friends in school who had lost family during 9/11. One kid he knew lost an aunt and uncle and didn’t go to school for two to three weeks. 

Benitez said even the teachers were affected. 

“It was hard to see how much it put them down,” he said. “It affected a lot more than I thought.”