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yesterday

PUC‑PR Rector Killed by Wind‑Blown Acrylic at Taliesin West

Police say the object was torn from a roof in strong winds, investigators remain on site, and the university is arranging repatriation and memorial rites.

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Reitor da PUC-PR morre em acidente durante viagem a trabalho nos Estados Unidos - País - Diário do Nordeste
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Overview

  • The rector, who died Friday, Rogério Renato Mateucci, 55, was struck during a guided visit to Taliesin West in Scottsdale when an acrylic piece was blown from a roof and hit him in the head.
  • Scottsdale Police treat the event as a weather-related accident with no suspected crime, emergency teams attended the scene, and investigators and forensic experts continue to examine the incident.
  • PUC‑PR confirmed the death and suspended classes and administrative activities at its Curitiba, Londrina and Toledo campuses, and it scheduled a memorial mass for Monday, October 19, to be held at the university chapel.
  • Mateucci was a member of the Marist Brothers who led PUC‑PR since 2022 and had been reconfirmed for a term beginning in 2026; he was traveling on an academic mission linked to Arizona State University organized by Semesp.
  • Authorities are awaiting arrangements to return Mateucci’s body to Brazil and the ongoing probe could prompt scrutiny of visitor safety at public heritage sites and of university travel protocols.