NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) — A high school football coach from New Jersey was among six people killed in a fiery crash in Newark.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office says the vehicle was traveling toward the Route 1 and 9 southbound on-ramp in Newark late Friday night when it somehow went off the road, became airborne and struck a support column for the Pulaski Skyway.
The vehicle burst into flames after falling from the ramp, killing all six people inside.
Darryl McKnight, 33, just started a job with the state, and Lamar McKnight, 32, was the head football coach of Hudson Catholic Regional High School.
Rutgers University Head Football Coach Greg Schiano expressed his condolences on social media
The family of the victims stopped by the scene at Raymond Boulevard and Blanchard Street on Saturday. There were bits and pieces of the vehicle left behind along with charred gravel. Natasha found her way from Jersey City after noticing something strange about her sons’ iPhone location.
“Because I check my kids’ location all day, all night, every day and those two never turn them off. So when I noticed that, I looked up one of them and the other one’s phone was right next to his, and it was there for too many hours, so I started to worry,” she said.
Upon arriving at the scene, Natasha realized it was Lamar’s car, burnt to a crisp – now left with the burden of going on as a mother without her two oldest sons.
“I have to be strong. I have to be strong for them. I have eight little ones, 17 and under, in my home that I have to care for,” she added.
Natasha says the Medical Examiner and police are still in the process of identifying the remains using dental records because of the conditions of the bodies.
It is unclear who else was in the vehicle.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office plans to release more information on Monday.
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