An Ohio State student was killed Friday while on a university-sponsored field trip in Florida.Julie West, 19, of Findlay, Ohio, was participating in the Lima campus’ biannual honors biology field trip to the Everglades when the accident occurred. The group was camping at the Highlands State Park. West was struck from behind by a truck at 11:50 p.m. while walking with a friend along County Road 634, which runs through the park.Cpl. Jim Vann of the Florida State Highway Patrol, said the vehicle, driven by 19-year-old Boyd Ally Roberts of Sebring, Fla., was traveling west on County Road 634 when it struck West.Roberts left the scene of the accident but was later arrested by authorities, Vann said. Roberts has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident, and other charges are pending.Vann said he could not comment on whether Roberts had been drinking. The results of Robert’s blood-alcohol test are not yet available. Vann was also unable to comment on the nature of the other pending charges.Adam Smith, 17, of St. Marys, Ohio, was walking with West when the accident occurred. Smith ran back to the camp to get help.The run back took about 12 minutes, but while he was gone a park ranger found West and radioed for an ambulance, Smith said. The ambulance was on the scene within 20 minutes, but West appeared to be dead when he left to go for help, Smith said. Paramedics confirmed her death upon arrival.”Julie was one of the nicest people I’ve ever known,” Smith said. “She was very caring and she really cared about the environment. She was very outgoing and the finest person I’ve ever met.” The students and two faculty members who participated in the week-long field trip are very close and helped each other after the accident and during the drive back to Lima, Smith said. Both faculty members are associate professors of zoology at the Lima campus. “Professor [Michael] Cunningham and Professor [Eric] Juterbock did their best to console the students and keep everyone together,” Smith said. “They really helped a lot.” The group arrived in Lima Monday afternoon where they met with their parents, West’s parents and Violet Meek, the dean and director of the OSU Lima campus.Meek was informed about the accident Saturday morning.”The accident was a senseless and terrible tragedy,” she said. “Julie was a wonderful and enthusiastic student, and her loss leaves a hole on this campus. We mourn with her parents, family and friends.””I’m proud of the bravery and compassion of the students and the way they took care of each other,” Meek said. “They went through something that makes no sense and they supported and helped each other.”The park rangers and campground staff were very helpful in counseling and comforting the students after the accident, Meek said.West was active in the Girl Scouts and was good at helping the older scouts, Meek said. West received a scholarship award from the Apple County Ridge Girl Scout Council and was awarded the Golden Paradigm Award for Achievement.West was a sophomore studying natural resources and environmental sciences at OSU. She transferred to the Lima campus before autumn quarter 1997 from Eastern Michigan University. She graduated from Findlay Senior High School in June 1996.Calling hours for West are today at 1:00 p.m., and the funeral will be Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Both will be held in Findlay.