Junior dies in car crash on I-76

By Amanda Koehler
Collegian Editor
November 15, 2006

Junior ISBT major Wilson “Willie” Maldonado, 20, died at about 2 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10 in an automobile accident.

Maldonado, a part-time student from Clifton, N.J., was driving the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of I-76, according to Philadelphia Police.

Maldonado’s vehicle hit the car of Donte Barnes, 34, of Philadelphia, head-on near the expressway’s Montgomery Drive exit.

Wilson was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Barnes died a half hour later at Hahnemann University Hospital.

Police have not yet released the cause of the crash.

University officials assisted the police in their investigation. When Maldonado’s family was notified, the University reached out to his family members and his friends on campus. Dean of Students Dr. Joseph Cicala notified the entire University community by publishing a message on the mylasalle portal Saturday.

Although he did not play this season due to academic ineligibility, Maldonado was a running back for the football team and a brother of the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta (also known as FIJI). He was currently living with three other juniors in a house on 18th Street.

Sophomore criminal justice and psychology major Jordan McAfee went shopping with Maldonado Thursday before his accident. They met last year while living in St. Basil Court.

“He was the happiest person in the whole entire world,” she said. “He had so much joy and was completely full of life. He would always go out of his way to do something for you, and he would never ask for anything in return.”

Freshman undecided major Krystal Larrea and Maldonado had been friends for a few years. She was with him when he got “born to be hated, dying to be loved” tattooed on his ribcage.

“We went to South Street, and he was so excited,” she said. “But when he was getting it done, he said to me, ‘Get me a lollipop. I need to concentrate on something else.’ I got him one, and afterwards he called all his friends and said, ‘I got inked!’”

Maldonado’s friends describe him as a “ladies’ man.” Junior finance major Dave Gruberg, Maldonado’s former roommate and teammate, remembered a time when he went to Maldonado for girl advice.

“I was talking to this girl last year, and I was nervous about hanging out with her,” he said. “I asked Willie for advice, and he told me to watch The Notebook with her. That was his favorite movie. He took it out of the bottom drawer of his desk and gave it to me. And it worked.”

Another roommate and teammate of Maldonado’s, junior accounting major John Costello, said that he enjoyed teasing his friend about his small stature. The pair were supposed to live together in a triple freshman year, but when Maldonado walked into their room, there were not enough beds, desks or dressers for three people.

“I told him, ‘You could fit in one of my dressers,’” Costello said. “It’s true what they say about good things coming in small packages.”

Costello also said that Maldonado was attached to his laptop and would take it everywhere. He added that Maldonado was the first roommate who would offer to help clean the house after Costello would complain that it was dirty.

Both Costello and Gruberg said that Maldonado had a hard time getting up for class.

“We used to leave him notes on his desk that said, ‘Go to class,’” Costello said. “He asked us to start waking him up so that he would make it to class. All he wanted to do was get his butt back on that football field.”

Costello said that Maldonado was so determined to get to class on time this year that his phone alarm would go off every five minutes from 6-10 a.m., just to make sure he was up in time for his first class.

Many of Maldonado’s friends expressed how much he loved football and how upset he was that he could not play this season.

Football Head Coach Tim Miller said that he had made a decision that players who were not eligible for football could not attend camp this year. After he made this announcement, Maldonado sent Miller an e-mail.

“He told me in a long e-mail how much he wanted to be at camp because the team was such a big part of who he was,” Miller said. “Even though he couldn’t play, he would have done anything just to be there with the team. I still have that e-mail today.”

Miller made a deal with Maldonado. The coach told him that if he passed all his summer courses, he would let him come to camp and tape the team. Maldonado passed and was able to attend camp with his teammates.

“He was a very caring kid, a kid who was extremely emotional and had a lot of excitement in his personality,” Miller said. “Like any of us, he had things he struggled with, but he had many positive qualities. He was a joy to be around.”

Maldonado will also be missed by another family unit he had on campus: his fraternity brothers.

“He lived life to the fullest. He gave everything he did 100 percent and always with a smile on his face,” said junior biology major Kevin Wallace, Maldonado’s former roommate, teammate and fraternity brother.

“He was a great brother and will be dearly missed. It’s really hard on us right now, because we are missing such an important part of our chapter,” said senior psychology major John Cole, president of Phi Gamma Delta.

A memorial mass was held for Willie Sunday night, and over 200 people attended. Gruberg said the event was emotional for everyone there who knew Maldonado.

“Everyone was in tears. Willie meant so much to us. You could feel the emotion in the room,” he said. “Willie loved La Salle more than anyone I know.”

Miller spoke at the memorial mass, and he agreed that the turnout was impressive because of how much Willie cared about his school.

“I really believe Willie appreciated all the relationships he had with everyone at La Salle, and the number of people there represented that,” Miller said.

Maldonado’s friends joined together to honor him in a Facebook group called “Willie… forever in our hearts.” At press time, the group has 613 members.

Maldonado is survived by his father, Wilson; his mother, Maribel; his younger brother, Christian and extended family members.

Notes of condolences may be brought to the Office of the Dean of Students, Box 834.

Funeral services for Maldonado were held today at 10 a.m. at St. Leo’s Church in Elmwood Park, N.J. He was buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Lakeview, N.J. The Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation provided bus transportation to the funeral.

Larrera and two of Maldonado’s friends from home, Dan Nunez and Mike Rawlins, are collecting money for his family to help ease the financial burden of the wake and funeral. If interested in contributing, contact Larrera at larreak1@lasalle.edu.

koehlera1@lasalle.edu