High school student killed, 3 others injured in tragic Rutherford, NJ crash

RUTHERFORD — A 17-year-old Rutherford High School student is dead and three others are in the hospital after a horrific crash on Friday.

Rutherford police said that the students' two-door BMW sedan crashed into a utility pole on Marginal Road around 3 p.m. Friday, NorthJersey.com reported. The crash, which did not involve any other vehicles, occurred between Lincoln Avenue and Wheaton Place.

All four students were 17 years old and male. The three injured victims are still hospitalized at Hackensack University Medical Center as of Monday.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Authorities have not yet released the names of any of the students involved. Superintendent Jack Hurley confirmed on Friday that all four victims were students at the high school.

Hurley said on Monday that a candlelight vigil will be held Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park. He asked that large groups of students not gather in the street at the site of the crash on Marginal Road for their own safety.

"Please use tomorrow night’s vigil as a place to collectively think about the accident victims and their families, share stories and simply come together as one community and one Rutherford," Hurley said.

Mayor Frank Nunziato said there will be grief counselors at the school for students and staff on Monday.

"For the foreseeable future, our community will be coping with the tragic accident," Nunziato said. "It permanently changed the lives of four Rutherford families."

"We know that the memory of this young man and RHS student will live on in the lives that he touched, and that he will be truly missed by all," Rutherford police said in a statement.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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