6 Killed, Including 2 High School Coaches, In Fiery New Jersey Car Crash: ‘Community Is Devastated'
Two of the six victims killed in the crash on Friday, Dec. 6, were brothers
Six people, including two high school coaches, have died following a fiery crash on a New Jersey highway.
Authorities said the crash occurred late on Friday, Dec. 6, when a car crashed into a support column for the Pulaski Skyway near the Route 1 and 9 southbound on-ramp in Newark, according to CBS affiliate WCBS-TV and ABC affiliate WABC-TV.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office said the vehicle “became airborne” after it “somehow went off the roadway” before hitting the column and bursting into flames, NBC affiliate WNBC-TV reported.
All six people in the car died. Among them are 32-year-old Lamar McKnight, a football coach at Hudson Catholic Regional High School and his brother 33-year-old Darryl McKnight.
"I loved my sons,” said the brothers’ mother Natasha McKnight, per WCBS-TV, adding that the pair “enjoyed life.”
“You see the support I have here. It has been going all day and that's what helps with the healing," she continued.
Also killed was Brad Cunningham, who “laid the foundation of the Rutgers football program,” the college’s current head coach, Greg Schiano said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Brad’s family and the entire Hudson Catholic football family,” Schiano wrote.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Hudson Catholic Regional High School canceled classes for Monday, Dec. 9, according to a post on the school’s Facebook page. Counseling was made available “to support our community.”
"The Hudson Catholic community is devastated by the tragic loss of two beloved coaches,” school officials said in the statement. They described the coaches as “dedicated educators and mentors who made a lasting impact on players, students and colleagues.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Their warmth, commitment, and passion for the Hudson Catholic community will never be forgotten,” officials added. “Our hearts and prayers go out to their families and friends, and to the families of the other victims of this tragedy.”
According to WCBS-TV, a press conference updating the investigation will be held at 3 p.m. local time on Dec. 9.
Read the original article on People
