Lindenwood student dies in a car crash

The+Lindenwood+sign+outside+of+the+J.+Scheidegger+Center+For+The+Arts.++Photo+by+Taylor+McDaniel+

The Lindenwood sign outside of the J. Scheidegger Center For The Arts.
Photo by Taylor McDaniel

Sofiya Melnychuk, Culture Editor

A Lindenwood student died in a car crash on I-70 in St. Charles County on Friday.

The student who was involved was Jacob Stauffer. He was a passenger in a vehicle that crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer.

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2013 Chevrolet Cruze hit the back of the tractor-trailer, went airborne, and slammed into the roof of the Kenworth T680 truck. After that, the car landed on the interstate, slid off the road, and hit a concrete median wall.

The driver of the Cruze, Robert S. Burkle, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital by ambulance. The truck driver, Danilo Leyda, was not injured.

Lindenwood Public Relations said in an email that Stauffer was a transfer student from Cottleville, Missouri, who joined the campus community this fall semester. He was pursuing a historical studies degree at Lindenwood and was actively involved in Lindenwood’s   Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

“Jacob was very trusting and was well loved by everyone. Jacob was inquisitive, loved history, philosophy, and debates. He always enjoyed hiking, a great steak, and a restful nap. Jacob was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew him,” according to a funeral notice published on the Baue Funeral Homes website.

A funeral service and a celebration of Stauffer’s life will take place on Saturday, Oct.30, 3-4 p.m., followed by visitation 4-8 p.m. The funeral and visitation will be held at Baue Funeral Home Cave Springs, 3950 W. Clay Street, St. Charles, Missouri 63301.