Zachary Morris, an MIT freshman from Bellville, Texas, died early Thursday morning in a tragic accident at East India Wharf in Boston. He was 19.
Morris attended a Celtics basketball game Wednesday evening, then went out to dinner with friends. After leaving a restaurant on Franklin Street, he apparently headed to the wharf alone where a surveillance camera caught his image as he explored the dock in a private area. Morris was found on the public sidewalk outside the fenced area at 6:45 a.m. in a manner that suggests he fell while climbing over the fence. Boston Police consider the death to be accidental.
Described as a confident, engaging young man who was very sociable but also enjoyed his privacy, the Baker House resident had friends in many different campus groups. He graduated from Bellville High School, where he was president of the student council and captain of the robotics team.
Morris is survived by his parents, Michael and Lisa, and his 14-year-old sister, Allison. Services will be held in Texas.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on December 7, 2005 (download PDF).
