The lives of two Penn State graduate students suddenly ended in a Bedford County car accident Friday morning, only days before they were expected home for Thanksgiving.

Trista Martin, of Magnolia, Miss., and Kristy Murray, of Hazlehurst, Miss., were first-year graduate students at Penn State and attended Jackson State University's undergraduate program together.

Murray's father, Stephen Murray, Sr., said his daughter and Martin were driving to the airport Friday morning to catch Martin's flight to Mississippi, and Kristy Murray was planning on catching her own flight home yesterday.

Stephen Murray Sr. said he and his family were expecting Kristy Murray home for Thanksgiving.

He said his daughter was best described as "energetic" and "ambitious."

"She loved to explore different things," he said.

He added that her sense of adventure might have been a reason she decided to attend graduate school in Pennsylvania -- about 1,100 miles away from home.

He said she worked in a Philadelphia research lab last summer and explored the Penn State campus during that time.

He added that she was studying to become a pediatrician.

"When she went after something, she went after it wholehearted," he said.

Stephen Murray Sr. said Martin was driving a 1997 Ford Explorer and swerved into oncoming traffic to dodge a deer before colliding with a Peterbuilt truck tractor.

The truck, driven by Charles Edmiston, 41, of Maryland, was traveling north on Route 220. Edmiston was not injured in the accident.

Stephen Murray, Sr. said his daughter and Martin met while attending school at Jackson State University.

Sara Martin, Trista Martin's mother, said Trista Martin graduated summa cum laude from Jackson

State University with a bachelor's degree in physics.

She said she lived a life full of achievement and happiness.

"What she did in 22 years, some people don't do in 50 years," she said.

Sara Martin said her daughter enjoyed her brief time at Penn State.

She said Trista Martin routinely spent Friday evenings at the local Applebee's with her friends and worked a booth at Penn State home football games.

"She's very jolly," she said. "She's just been the joy of our town."

She said Trista Martin and Kristy Murray were good friends and roommates.

Numerous friends of the females have left heartwarming messages on online message boards including Facebook.com. Friends have posted pictures, messages and created groups in honor of Trista and Kristy.

Penn State spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz said this incident has been tragic for the entire Penn State community.

"That's a loss to the whole university," she said.

Geoffrey Rushton, Penn State spokesman, said friends and family are welcome to request a local memorial service for the females through the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.

Trista Martin's memorial service is scheduled for tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. in the New Home Baptist Church in Magnolia, Miss. Kristy Murray's memorial service is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. in the New Life Cathedral of Worship in Hazlehurst, Miss.

Pennsylvania State police are still investigating the car accident.