An Ohio U. senior died Thursday evening in a one-vehicle crash near the border of Medina and Lorain counties in northeast Ohio.
Kurt Jacobs, 21, of North Ridgeville, Ohio, was a dual major in finance and management information systems.
“I was extremely saddened to hear of this obviously very bright young man with a promising future whose life ended too early,” said OU’s Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi. “My deepest sympathies go out to his … loved ones and his family.”
The crash killed Jacobs and a longtime friend, Zachary M. Roberts, 23, of North Ridgeville, according to a news release from the State Highway Patrol’s Medina Patrol Post.
At about 6:15 p.m. Thursday, the men were riding in a 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse when the car veered off West River Road. The Eclipse went airborne and hit a group of trees, according to the news release.
Neither man was wearing a seat belt, and alcohol may have been a factor in the crash, according to the release.
Jacobs’ friends and professors said they will remember him as friendly and hardworking.
“He was the kind of kid who everyone enjoyed being around,” Marketing Department Chairman Chris Moberg said. Moberg spent last summer in Spain with Jacobs and a group of College of Business students.
“It was fun to be part of a trip with such a good kid who was genuine and thoughtful,” Moberg said.
Last quarter, Jacobs led a group of business students in producing a Web site for a bakery. He was planning to continue working with the client to finish setting up the site. Jacobs’ friend, senior Jim Doganiero, will finish the bakery project. They met sophomore year while taking several classes together and both spent the summer in Spain.
“He was always nice and funny, and he always tried to get everyone in a good mood,” Doganiero said.
Tom Luce, chairman of the MIS department, taught Jacobs last quarter and said he was easy to work with.
“This is the kind of thing that’s just so sad all the way around,” Luce said. “He was smart, and he had a great future ahead of him. It’s just so tragic.”
Visitation hours will be 6 to 8 p.m. today, and 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Busch Funeral Home, 32000 Detroit Road, Avon Lake, Ohio. The funeral will be held Wednesday at St. Clarence Parish, 30106 Lorain Road, North Olmsted, Ohio. The time has not been set.