ROTC cadet dies in crash

A Temple sophomore died Tuesday from injuries sustained in a car crash that night. Robert Morree, 19, was driving his 1991 Dodge Shadow northbound on the 5500 block of Tabor Road in Northeast Philadelphia when

A Temple sophomore died Tuesday from injuries sustained in a car crash that night.

Robert Morree, 19, was driving his 1991 Dodge Shadow northbound on the 5500 block of Tabor Road in Northeast Philadelphia when it crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a parked tractor trailer.

Morree, who was enrolled in the university’s Reserve Officer Training Corps, was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 7:50 p.m. He is survived by his mother and father.

Morree had siblings but it was not known how many.

Morree was studying biology and aspired to be a medical doctor.

“He was an outstanding young man and intelligent,” said Temple ROTC Colonel Rodney O. Griffin. “He could always be counted on. He was a kind of guy that any guy would want on your team, whether you’re in the military or civilian life.”

He was named to the ROTC Ranger Challenge team the day he died.

He would have been one of eight cadets to represent the school in physical training and rifle marksmanship competitions against other ROTC teams across the country.

Morree was a class leader this year and last year carried the ROTC guidon, which is a banner bearing the Corps Badge.

One cadet who began ROTC the same semester as Morree said he was a go-getter. He was always there for help and never complained.

“If you had a question or needed a favor he would just stop everything and do it,” said the cadet, who asked not to be named.

Col. Griffin will always remember Morree reading The Philadelphia Inquirer every day in the basement of Ritter Hall. Col. Griffin said when Morree wasn’t busy helping others he had his nose buried in a book.

“He’s basically what every body aspires to be,” Col. Griffin said.


Chris Silva can be reached at cbsrican@aol.com

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