Darryl McKnight,Lamar McKnight Obituary, Death; – Three individuals have been identified as victims of a tragic car accident that resulted in the deaths of six people in New Jersey, as reported by law enforcement and educational authorities.
The vehicle was en route to the southbound on-ramp of Route 1 and 9 in Newark late Friday night when it lost control, became airborne, and collided with a support column of the Pulaski Skyway, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Upon impact with the ground, the vehicle erupted in flames, claiming the lives of all six occupants, officials stated.
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g the deceased were two brothers, Darryl McKnight, 33, a newly appointed state counselor, and Lamar McKnight, 32, a football coach at Hudson Catholic Regional High School. Their mother, Natasha McKnight of Jersey City, confirmed their identities to CBS News.
She recounted, “I monitor my children’s locations constantly, and they never disable their tracking. When I noticed one of their phones was inactive for an extended period, I became concerned.” It was only after seeing a photo of her sons’ charred car bumper on social media that she realized they were among the victims.
Brad Cunningham, who was also affiliated with the Rutgers football program, has been recognized as another victim by a high school official. As of Monday, police have not yet officially confirmed the identities of the victims.
Rutgers Football Head Coach Greg Schiano expressed his condolences on X, stating, “We are deeply saddened by the news of an accident involving Brad Cunningham, Coach McKnight, and four others last night. Brad Cunningham, a member of our inaugural recruiting class, helped establish the Rutgers football program. Our thoughts and prayers are with Brad’s family and the entire Hudson Catholic football community.”
The Independent reached out to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, which declined to disclose the victims’ identities at this time but announced a press conference scheduled for Monday afternoon. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has also issued a statement.
