🔴 Two high school students have been killed in a crash

🔴 Both students were juniors at Wayne Hills

🔴 Details of the crash have not been released to the public


WAYNE — Two Passaic County high school students have been killed in a car crash over the weekend.

Wayne Superintendent Mark Toback said that the students, both juniors at Wayne Hills High School, were killed in an accident on Friday. They have been identified as Liam Pakonis and Christian Enrico.

Enrico, 17, was one of six children in his family, according to his obituary. It states he was a "kind and loving son" who enjoyed Jiu-Jitsu, outdoor activities, and cars. Pakonis was a member of the school swim team.

"Both were cherished members of their school community and will be greatly missed by all," Toback said. "We ask that you keep Liam, Christian, and their families in your thoughts and prayers."

Christian Enrico (Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home)
Christian Enrico (Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home)
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Board of Education President Donald Pavlak Jr. called their deaths a "tragic loss" in a statement released by TapIntoWayne.

"We are all reeling from this news," Pavlak said. "I have attached some grief resources and will have more details regarding counseling and ways to honor the lives of these two Patriots as soon as I get them."

Councilwoman Fran Ritter on social media said she was "profoundly saddened."

Wayne Hills High School (Google Maps)
Wayne Hills High School (Google Maps)
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"Both were my childrens’ classmates and Liam was my son’s teammate on the Wayne Hills Swim Team," Ritter said. "My family and I send our prayers and deepest condolences to their families, classmates, teachers, coaches and to all who loved them."

Details of the crash were not released by the school district. Detective Captain Daniel Daly told New Jersey 101.5 that the crash did not occur in Wayne and he had no information.

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

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