Marcus Daley, 11-Year-Old Victim in Sunday Night's Fatal Accident, Always Had A Positive Attitude

Fifth-grader Marcus Daley was loved by everyone, full of energy, and always had something funny to say. At 11 years old, he was among the most popular kids at school.

But on Monday morning, Nov. 7, the classrooms at were a little dimmer, as the boy whose smile could light up an entire room wasn't there to cheer up his classmates, who learned that one night earlier, Daley's life had been taken when he was struck by a car.

"He was loved by everyone," Roland Rogers School Principal Robin L. Moore said late Monday morning. "He was very energetic and everyone loved to be his friend. He was a very nice kid. ... We were all shocked."

According to information provided to , Daley was playing with friends Sunday night around 6 p.m. when he wandered into Collins Road, between Colonial Court and Society Hill Drive. At that point, he was struck by a car being driven by Lee Jones, 23, of Galloway. Jones stopped immediately, police said.

Multiple 911 calls were made to Galloway Police, who responded along with an ambulance and paramedics. Daley was treated and taken to , where he was pronounced dead, police said.

"I heard a screech, and instantly I heard someone panicking," said Ron Pisaniello, 28, who lives in the area of the accident and had gone out to buy cigarettes at that time Sunday night. "I knew someone had gotten hurt."

Pisaniello said he saw about "two dozen police cars" show up, and there was a large comotion.

"(The mother) was an emotional wreck," said Pisaniello, who added that stretch of road gets dark at that time of night.

He added that he has a nine-year-old son, and often worries about him being out at night.

"I got home and I saw a mass of cops," said Lena Hunton, 27, who also lives in the area. "I know people speed in this area. People don't follow (the speed limit)."

Police didn't indicate that Jones was speeding at the time of the accident.

Daley's mother could not be reached for comment on Monday, but Daley's fourth grade teacher had numerous memories of the "energetic child" with a "dynamite personality."

"He always offered to help people," said Carol Argenti, Daley's teacher when he was at last year. "We would always do relaxation and yoga, and he would get in different positions. He'd be so proud of himself. He played basketball and football and he was very popular."

While at Reeds Road, his class raised over $1,000 in ice cream sales.

"We were making sundaes," Argenti said. "He was a server. He always wanted to take people's orders. He was such a great, happy kid and he had a positive attitude."

It's that positive attitude his classmates were told to remember when their teachers told them of Sunday night's tragedy.

"It's always hard to talk to children about the death of their classmate," Moore said. "But we tell them to remember the positive aspects, and that makes them feel good."

"Our entire school family is saddened by his death and offer condolences to Marcus's family," Galloway Superintendent of Schools Annette Giaquinto said. "Our district has a very detailed crisis response process to handle this situation. The process to notify and, more importantly, support students was organized last evening and implemented this morning. This includes working with the class and, as needed, individual students."

Moore said about a dozen students in the school asked to be removed on Monday.

"Each teacher spoke to their own homeroom, and then for his homeroom, we went in and spoke with the students," Moore said. " ... Some students were devastated, but then they remembered how positive he always was and that cheered them up."

Galloway Police continued to investigate the scene Monday morning.

The accident was being reconstructed and investigated, police said Monday morning. If anyone has information, they are asked to contact Sgt. Barber at 609-652-3705, ext. 049.