Police ID 3 who died in fiery Newark crash after Point Pleasant Beach pop-up party – NJ.com

The three people who died in a fiery crash on Route 22 in Newark late Tuesday night were on their way home from a large pop-up party in Point Pleasant Beach that brought thousands of people to the oceanfront, authorities said.

They were identified Wednesday as Taylor Hill, 19, Kamal Johnson, 18, both of Newark and Nashawn Brooks, 20, a former high school athlete from Irvington, according to a statement from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. Hill and Johnson were pronounced dead at the scene and Brooks died at University Hospital in Newark shortly before noon on Wednesday.

All three were passengers in a Cadillac CTS, which was the only vehicle involved in the crash which occurred at 11:11 p.m., the office said.

Two other women in the car, including the 19-year-old driver, sustained life-threatening injuries and were hospitalized in critical condition on Wednesday evening, the office said.

Speed did not appear to be a factor in the crash, a prosecutor’s office spokesperson said.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced during his daily coronavirus press briefing on Wednesday afternoon that he had spoken with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka who informed him of the tragic news.

“Three young [people]…were killed on Route 22 on the way on the way back from Point Pleasant Beach,” Murphy said.

Murphy said they attended the beach gathering at the Jersey Shore town that required police from neighboring towns to be brought in for crowd control.

“An awful loss of life with two other [people] who were in…I’m not sure what type of hospital care, but please keep them in their prayers,” Murphy added.

The car was headed westbound on Route 22 when it crashed and caught fire about 11 p.m. in Newark, according to a report on ABC-7.

Three people were ejected from the car and taken to a nearby hospital, reported ABC-7. Video from the scene showed a badly burned vehicle and police blocking the road.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation Wednesday evening.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.