Rutgers Grad Dies After Car Plunges into Hudson River in Jersey City

A 22-year-old man was killed when a car plunged into a canal off the Hudson River in Jersey City early Wednesday, police say.

Marc Puich was pulled out of the Morris Canal about two hours after he drove off a parking lot on Liberty View Drive, crashed through a steel barrier and then dropped into the waterway. He was unresponsive when he was pulled from the water at around 3:30 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the hospital. 

Puich graduated from Rutgers earlier this month, his family said, and was going to start looking for jobs soon. They described him as loving and said they don't know how he ended up driving the car that ended up in the river.

"He took care of me," said Maria Puich, his mother, who told him to be careful when he left home Tuesday evening to attend a party with friends.

Police believe Puich was the only person in the car. Crews will continue to search the canal for additional passengers because a witness initially reported that two or three people were inside the vehicle.

The car remains in the water about 15 to 20 feet offshore, police say, and will be pulled from water at some point Wednesday.

The Hudson River is about 40 degrees this time of year.

The plunge is being investigated as an accident, police say.

Contact Us