3rd teen dies, mother driving kids suffers brain injury in NJ highway crash

◼️ The passenger in a car involved in a crash on Route 55 died at a hospital

◼️ Brenden Cary and Ivan Gastelum will have a joint funeral

◼️ The mother driving the minivan struck by Cary's car suffered brain injuries

A third teenage victim has died and the mother of three other children remains hospitalized with brain injuries after a Sunday afternoon crash involving several vehicles on Route 55.

Brenden Cary, 19, and passenger Dominic Reyes, 19, died on Route 55 in Elk Township Sunday afternoon.

A second passenger in their car, Ivan Gastelum, 17, died at a hospital, his mother told NBC Philadelphia.

State Police said Cary lost control of his Honda sedan and hit a Honda CRV ahead of him. He crossed the right lane, went into the right shoulder, struck a disabled Dodge SUV and flipped over.

The Dodge had been pulled over by a mother driving three of her children, all of whom suffered severe injuries.

Gastelum's mother said her son and Cary were inseparable as friends and will have a joint funeral. She said the young men had been headed to a car show in Philadelphia.

Cary and Gastelum were seniors at Delsea Regional High School. Reyes was a recent graduate.

A GoFundMe campaign aims to help with funeral costs.

Services for Cary and Gastelum are 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Sicklerville. Services for Reyes are 5 p.m. Friday at Boucher Funeral Home in Deptford.

Family in disabled minivan recovering

The mother and children in the disabled minivan continue recovering from injuries, according to a GoFundMe campaign created by relative Daryan Fennel.

Fennal said that her aunt got a flat tire and was waiting for her husband to arrive. Fennal's aunt suffered a severe brain injury in the crash, while her three children, ages 2 to 13, are also recovering from severe injuries.

There are two other children in the family who are all home-schooled, according to Fennal.  The minivan is the family's only means of transportation and will need to be replaced.

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