Accident Takes Life of Leader

By Cara Latham

Junior John E. Kostic, 20, an actuarial science and finance major from Delran, N.J., was killed in an chain-reaction collision involving three cars and three trucks on Route 1 on Friday, Nov. 18.

He was fatally injured when a tractor-trailer rear-ended his Chevrolet Cavalier and then crashed into two other trucks around 2:35 p.m. One of those trucks then hit two other cars, creating a massive traffic jam. The accident occurred on the southbound side of the highway just below the I-95 overpass in Lawrence.
When news of his death hit campus, many students and staff members expressed an overwhelming sense of loss.

Senior Chris Manning, a resident advisor (RA) in Poyda Residence Hall and a brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon who was close friends with Kostic, said that he had known him since Kostic’s freshman year and that the two had bonded over common interests. He said he was excited when Kostic moved to Switlik because he knew Kostic would be a great addition to the building’s Residence Hall Association (RHA).

“He’s an all-around nice guy,” said Manning. “He never gave any less than his absolute full. Even if he was the sole voice of opposition, he stood up for what he believed in.”

Kostic also became an RA in Poyda last year, and in Olson this semester.
Manning said people often speak of Kostic as more than human. However, he said that Kostic was rather down-to-earth and had a great passion for Star Wars. He added that Kostic’s claim, that the first episode of the series was the most important, exemplified his views on life.

“He was adamant in the fact that [the first episode] had set up the story, and that you needed to have [it] in order to understand [the epic],” said Manning. “He never saw things as individual. He always had a way of seeing the big
picture.”

Junior Amber Andyshak, a fellow RA in Olson, also spoke of his profound knowledge of Star Wars.

“He knew every little thing about Star Wars,” she said. “He knew the planets’ names and everything.”

However, Andyshak also spoke of his up-beat personality and his reliability when she mentioned that the two were “building buddies” while working as RAs in Poyda and Olson, and that, whenever she had a problem, she went to Kostic.
“John was the most dependable person ever,” said Andyshak. “If he said he was going to be there, he would be there five minutes early. He was also level-headed in dealing with people, and he was good at calming people down.”

Area Director for Residence Life Jane Ferrick also spoke of his optimism, when she referred to the last staff meeting he attended. At the meetings, the RAs discuss the “highs and lows” they experience during each week with regards to their jobs.
“I remember John saying that he didn’t have a high or a low,” she said. “And that it was life, and that it was good. He was a very positive person.”

Kostic’s supervisor in Olson, Residence Director Ian Wentworth, said he had “nothing but fantastic things to say about John.”

“The staff and residents loved him,” he said. “He was always there for them, and they got along with him extremely well. He was very efficient, very open, very honest and just an all-around great guy.”

Both Wentworth and Andyshak spoke of the Halloween party in Olson, when Kostic showed up in a Spiderman costume.

“I think [John’s presence at] the Halloween party was so fascinating because the residents wouldn’t think an RA would dress up,” said Wentworth. “It was just [like he was saying], ‘This is me. This is John. And this is what I like.’”

Since the beginning of the semester, four Rider students have died, all in car accidents. Dean Anthony Campbell, associate vice president for Student Affairs, said he didn’t recall such a high number of deaths in one semester during his time here, but said he doesn’t think students should alter their lives.

“What we should take is that every minute we have on earth is precious,” said Campbell. “We must take advantage of our opportunities.”

He also spoke of the sorrow facing the Rider community, but said that everyone has been pulling together.

“All four students were student leaders and outstanding examples of what Rider students should be,” the dean said. “It’s hard to realize that we lost one student from every class this year. Try to drive safely and keep everybody in your prayers.”

Kostic’s mother, Eileen Kostic, and his sister, Emily Kostic, said the Rider community has been very supportive.

“Thank you to the entire Rider community for making such a horrible time much easier on all of us,” said Emily Kostic.

Eileen Kostic said John would have thought it was “cool” that someone had fainted at his memorial service, which was held in Gill Chapel on Sunday, Nov. 20, and that they had to bring her out.

“John loved Rider,” she said. “He enjoyed being an RA, loved his brothers at Sig Ep and had a soft spot in his heart for Rider in general.”

She also said that he was a great son and never argued. She called the accident “senseless,” and explained that he donated his skin, bones and heart valves to science.

It was reported in other newspapers that the accident was possibly a result of sun glare or that the truck driver’s brakes had locked. Capt. Mark Boyd of the Lawrence Township Police said that while he wasn’t ready to make an official comment on the matter, sun glare “does not appear to be the cause of the accident” and skid marks suggested that the brakes did not lock. An investigation to determine the cause of the accident is continuing, he said.

Kostic was a Bloustein Scholar, an RA, a member of the Student Finance Board, a Sigma Phi Epsilon brother, a member of the RHA staff during his time in Switlik, and a Eucharistic minister through the Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM).
He is survived by his parents, John and Eileen; his sister Emily; his aunt; two cousins; two godparents; and his godson.

Memorial services were held at Snover/Givnish of Cinnaminson, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, and on Wednesday, Nov. 23. His funeral Mass was held at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Holy Name in Delran after the service. He was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham, Pa.

According to Kostic’s mother, there will be another memorial service at his high school, Delran High School, in Delran, N.J., and a memorial bench at Sea Isle City, which she said was his favorite place.

His sister has set up a memorial website, www.johnkostic.memory-of.com, where students and relatives have left messages of condolences and their memories.

Staff writer J.P. Krahel and information from The Burlington County Times contributed to this report.