Vigil Thursday for victim of Route 22 crash

A candlelight vigil is planned Thursday to remember an Irvington college student who was one of the three people who died in fiery crash on Route 22 on Tuesday night.

Taylor Hill, 19, and Kamal Johnson, 18, both of Newark, were pronounced dead at the crash scene while Nashawn Brooks, 20, of Irvington, died several hours later at University Hospital in Newark, according to acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II.

Two women in the car, including the 19-year-old driver, remain hospitalized in critical condition.

The five had attended a beach party along with thousands of others in Point Pleasant Beach on Tuesday.

The cause of the Cadillac CTC crash remains under investigation. The Daily Voice of Ocean County reported that Hill posted video on social media of the five in the car singing and dancing just before the crash.

Hill and Johnson were former dance majors at Arts High School, the Daily Voice of Ocean County reported.

A vigil is scheduled for Thursday night at Irvington High School to remember Brooks, according to Wagner College, where he had completed his freshman year and was a linebacker on the football team. According to a Wagner spokesman, the vigil was organized by several former football teammates.

"This is an unimaginable, tragic loss," Wagner College President Joel W. Martin said in a written statement. "Nashawn was known for his energy, humor and work ethic. He was a curious learner and excited about all there was to discover in this world. He will forever be part of the fabric of Wagner College."

Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss told RLS Metro Breaking News that Brooks' death was a “devastating loss to our community.”

Nashawn Brooks (Wagner College)

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