3 Teenagers Killed in New Jersey Freeway Chain-Response Crash

Three teenagers had been killed in a chain-reaction crash in Glassboro, N.J., on Sunday, March 9, The New York Submit, NBC 10 and the Cherry Hill Courier-Submit reported.

Brendan Cary and Dominic Reyes, each 19, and an unnamed 17-year-old boy had been driving in a Honda alongside the shoulder of Route 55 northbound, close to Exit 48, round 4:17 p.m. on Sunday. Cary was the driving force, whereas Reyes and the 17-year-old boy had been each passengers.

On the identical time, a 36-year-old girl was driving a Honda CRV when Cary’s automotive clipped it from behind. After Cary misplaced management of the automotive, it veered onto the freeway’s proper shoulder and hit a stationary minivan. The minivan, which had a passenger and three kids, overturned. 

The minivan’s 4 occupants had been injured; the driving force sustained severe accidents whereas the youngsters had minor accidents, per NBC 10.

Cary and Reyes had been fatally killed on the scene. The 17-year-old was first described as significantly injured, however he died Sunday night time at a hospital, per the Cherry Hill Courier-Submit.

Reyes was a current graduate of Delsea Regional Excessive College, and Cary and the 17-year-old boy had been present college students.

Cary’s authorized guardian, Laura Perez, instructed NJ Advance Media that the three boys had been “superb children.”

“They had been all the time collectively, engaged on their vehicles, going to the automotive wash and automotive meets, taking part in video video games or simply hanging out,” Perez mentioned. “It’s an immense loss that I’m unsure we are going to ever totally recuperate from.”

“I’m praying for the individuals within the different automotive hoping everybody was OK. I’m so sorry to them,” she mentioned of the minivan passengers.

The Delsea Regional College District superintendent, Fran Ciociola, issued a letter asserting the kids’ demise, per a Franklin Township Police Division Sunday Fb submit.

“It’s with a heavy coronary heart, I write to share the devastating information of a tragic automotive accident that took the lives of one in all our present college students, Brenden Cary, and a current Delsea graduate,” Ciociola wrote. 

“Our faculty household is heartbroken, and our ideas are with their households, mates, and all who knew and cherished them. We additionally acknowledge that this accident has impacted households past our faculty neighborhood, and our hearts exit to everybody affected. In moments like these, we’re reminded of the significance of coming collectively in help, love, and compassion.”

Ciociola instructed NBC10 that he had identified Cary and Reyes when he was the Delsea Regional Excessive College principal at Delsea Regional Excessive College.

“I consider them exterior on the patio each day with their core group and the laughter and I might come out and they’d make faux they had been doing one thing unsuitable,” Ciociola instructed NBC10. “And I might stroll over and [they would say] ‘Oh, we’re kidding Mr. C.’ They had been enjoyable sorts that had been favored by all.”

“It is so powerful once you lose any person,” Ciociola mentioned. “Hug your family members since you by no means know what the following day brings.”

An investigation into this crash remains to be ongoing.

By no means miss a narrative — join PEOPLE’s free every day e-newsletter to remain up-to-date on the perfect of what PEOPLE has to supply​​, from superstar information to driving human curiosity tales.

A consultant for New Jersey State Police didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s request for extra data on Tuesday.