3 Teens Killed in New Jersey Highway Chain-Reaction Crash: 'It’s an Immense Loss'

Three teens were killed in a chain-reaction crash in Glassboro, N.J., on Sunday, March 9, The New York Post, NBC 10 and the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reported.

Brendan Cary and Dominic Reyes, both 19, and an unnamed 17-year-old boy were driving in a Honda along the shoulder of Route 55 northbound, near Exit 48, around 4:17 p.m. on Sunday. Cary was the driver, while Reyes and the 17-year-old boy were both passengers.

At the same time, a 36-year-old woman was driving a Honda CRV when Cary’s car clipped it from behind. After Cary lost control of the car, it veered onto the highway’s right shoulder and hit a stationary minivan. The minivan, which had a passenger and three children, overturned.

The minivan’s four occupants were injured; the driver sustained serious injuries while the children had minor injuries, per NBC 10.

Cary and Reyes were fatally killed at the scene. The 17-year-old was first described as seriously injured, but he died Sunday night at a hospital, per the Cherry Hill Courier-Post.

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Reyes was a recent graduate of Delsea Regional High School, and Cary and the 17-year-old boy were current students.

Cary’s legal guardian, Laura Perez, told NJ Advance Media that the three boys were “amazing kids.”

“They were always together, working on their cars, going to the car wash and car meets, playing video games or just hanging out,” Perez said. “It’s an immense loss that I’m not sure we will ever fully recover from.”

“I’m praying for the people in the other car hoping everyone was OK. I’m so sorry to them,” she said of the minivan passengers.

The Delsea Regional School District superintendent, Fran Ciociola, issued a letter announcing the teens’ death, per a Franklin Township Police Department Sunday Facebook post.

"It is with a heavy heart, I write to share the devastating news of a tragic car accident that took the lives of one of our current students, Brenden Cary, and a recent Delsea graduate," Ciociola wrote.

"Our school family is heartbroken, and our thoughts are with their families, friends, and all who knew and loved them. We also recognize that this accident has impacted families beyond our school community, and our hearts go out to everyone affected. In moments like these, we are reminded of the importance of coming together in support, love, and compassion."

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Ciociola told NBC10 that he had known Cary and Reyes when he was the Delsea Regional High School principal at Delsea Regional High School.

"I think of them outside on the patio every day with their core group and the laughter and I would come out and they would make pretend they were doing something wrong," Ciociola told NBC10. "And I would walk over and [they would say] 'Oh, we're kidding Mr. C.' They were fun kinds that were liked by all."

"It's so tough when you lose somebody," Ciociola said. "Hug your loved ones because you never know what the next day brings."

An investigation into this crash is still ongoing.

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A representative for New Jersey State Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Tuesday.

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