New details revealed in Newark crash that killed two football coaches
NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) -- The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office released new information Monday about the fatal car crash that killed six people in Newark Friday night.
“As far as we can tell, [it] may have been the largest single-car motor vehicle accident in the last 40 years,” said Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens.
According to Stephens, the crash happened just before 11:30 p.m. Friday in the area of Routes 1 and 9 in Newark, near Raymond Boulevard.
“While traveling on the ramp, the vehicle somehow went off the roadway, became airborne, and struck a support column for the Pulaski Skyway before coming to a final rest underneath Routes 1 and 9 on the southbound ramp,” said Stephens. “That is when the vehicle caught fire.”
Prosecutors said the car was a sedan designed to hold between four and five people.
When asked if speed was a factor in the crash, Stephens said, “You can assume that there was some speed involved in there to create that type of accident, but we have nothing definitive at this time.”
Hudson Catholic High School has identified two of the crash victims as 32-year-old head football coach Lamar McKnight and 41-year-old assistant coach Brad Cunningham.
Varsity running back Jonas De la Rosa said the coaches had a profound impact on him.
“McKnight gave me a chance,” said De la Rosa. “He saw the potential in me. Coach Brad, he was a great coach. He was my running back coach. He brought a lot of energy to the field. We always cracked jokes."
McKnight’s older brother, Daryl, was also in the car. He was a father and worked as a counselor for the state. Natasha McKnight publicly identified both her sons over the weekend.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is not releasing any names until it receives dental records that will allow for positive identification.