Family killed in Westville, NJ crash not wearing seatbelts

WESTVILLE — None of the passengers or the driver were wearing seatbelts in the horrific crash that killed a dad and his niece and two young daughters on Saturday night.

George Ritter was at the wheel of a 1987 black Ford Mustang that slammed into a utility pole on Gateway Boulevard around 9:20 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene along with his two daughters Alivia and Elsie, ages 5 and 9, and his 8-year-old niece Kenzie. Ritter was a single dad.

No one in the car was wearing a seatbelt, according to Police Chief William Whenna, who said speed is also being looked at as a contributing factor of this crash.

The chief said the Mustang was modified with specialized tires and engine accessories to include a roll cage to make the vehicle specially designed to race at private racetracks. Toxicology results are pending for Ritter.

The group was returning a birthday party at the Westville Power Boat Club, according to Whenna. The club organized a GoFundMe page to help with the family's funeral expenses.

According to his obituary Ritter was a tile layer for Local 7 NYJ and was owner/operator of George Ritter Construction.

The funeral for all four is scheduled for Saturday at the Davis & Wagner Funeral Home in Woodbury at noon.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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