LINWOOD, N.J. -- A New Jersey high school and its surrounding community were trying to regroup Sunday, a day after four players on its football team were killed and four more were injured in an SUV crash as they traveled to a team meal.
The driver apparently lost control of the SUV on Saturday morning as it went around a crest on the Garden State Parkway and came upon heavy traffic late Saturday morning, said Sgt. Julian Castellanos, a state police spokesman. The SUV overturned several times, ejecting two passengers, one of whom was struck by a passing car, Castellanos said.
All eight played for the Mainland Regional High School football team in Linwood and ranged in age from 15 to 17, state police confirmed Sunday.
The driver, 17-year-old Casey Brenner of Northfield, was killed, as were Dean Khoury of Linwood, 15; and two 16-year-olds, Edgar Bozzi of Somers Point and Nicholas Conner of Northfield. The injured included two Linwood residents, 17-year-old Jacob Smith and 15-year-old Kenneth Randall, and two 16-year-old Northfield residents, Kyle Beattie and Alex Denafo. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
Mainland Regional High School coach Bob Coffey said that three of the players who survived the crash are home from the hospital. The fourth injured player, Smith, was due home soon.
Under New Jersey state law, drivers under 18 years old generally are not allowed to carry more than one passenger unless a parent or guardian is in the vehicle. It appears that Brenner may have violated that law as he drove a carload of teammates to meet other players at a restaurant to celebrate the last practice of the summer before scrimmages are to begin.
Twenty-four hours after the fatal crash, the Mainland Mustangs' football field was calm. A solitary jogger was looping the track at the Atlantic City-area school. The tackling dummies in the nearby practice field stood, abandoned.
But in the evening, a candlelight vigil was scheduled for the stadium.
Giving people a place to come together and grieve was one thing the school could do to help, Schools superintendent Thomas Baruffi said.
Baruffi said he's been through student deaths before, but never lost multiple students at once like this.
"They're always tragic," he said. "You know there's nothing you can say or do that's enough."
He said he hopes the tragedy would make the school community stronger and closer. But, he said, "this is never a sacrifice you want to make."
Baruffi said counselors would also be available for those who need them starting at 5 p.m.
The superintendent of the 1,600-student school said the football team has canceled two scrimmages scheduled for this week.
He said he was not sure what else would be done in memory of the four players, whom he described as good students, good athletes and popular personalities.
The team's first game, for now, is scheduled for Sept. 9, three days before the school year is to begin.
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i know some of the guys on here are from nj...
remember how lucky we are, if you have kids tell them you love them...
here today gone tomorrow,
extremely sad story...i know they were violating the law, with too many kids in the car. but doesnt make it any easier
rest in peace kids