SC&I staff member dies in car accident

Jodi Marcou, a development specialist for the School of Communication and Information, died on Sunday afternoon in a vehicle collision with a stolen SUV in Princeton, New Jersey, according to an article from NJ Advance Media.

In the incident, it was reported at 12:40 p.m. that three people attempted to steal a vehicle in a driveway on Clover Lane in Princeton and fled the scene afterward in the Jeep Grand Cherokee that was involved in the collision, according to the article.

The SUV was followed by a stolen Range Rover from a residence on Dodds Lane in Princeton, but they split off while the officer investigating the attempted theft began following the Range Rover, according to the article.

The Range Rover was left abandoned in Newark, but a report reached authorities at 1:09 p.m. of the crash, in which the SUV’s 15-year-old female driver passed the double yellow line on Princeton-Kingston Road and struck Marcou’s vehicle from the opposite direction, according to the article.

Marcou was pronounced dead at the scene, along with the driver of the SUV, according to the article. There was also a 14-year-old male passenger in the SUV who went to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Marcou joined the School of Communication and Information in January 2018 and previously served as program coordinator for the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival, according to an article from the school. Her funeral was held yesterday.

“(Marcou) was highly regarded by colleagues, donors and alumni,” said Rob Eccles, assistant dean for development in the Rutgers School of Communication and Information. “She performed her work effectively and efficiently, routinely went above and beyond the scope of her responsibilities and was a pleasure to work with.”