Washington University Faculty Member Killed In Ladue Car Accident

Ladue Police confirmed early Saturday that three people, including a Washington University faculty member specializing in Islamic Art and Architecture, died following a two car head-on crash Friday night.

Chief Rich Wooten said a 2007 Ford Focus, driven by Kyle Weeks, 25, of Olivette, was westbound on Ladue Road at Gouverneur Lane just before 9 p.m. Friday when it passed another vehicle and struck a 2004 Volkswagon Jetta, driven by Melanie Michailidis, 46, of St. Louis, which was eastbound.

Weeks and Michailidis were pronounced dead at the scene. Joseph Jacob, 41 of San Francisco, CA, who was a passenger in the eastbound vehicle, was taken to Mercy Hospital St. Louis where he later died. Authorities say there were no passengers in the westbound vehicle.

Saturday morning, a Washington University spokesman confirmed Michailidis was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Islamic Art at the school, with a PhD from MIT.