Director Of State Agency Killed In Mercer County Crash: Officials

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Chadd W. Lackey, executive director of the State Commission of Investigation (SCI) was killed in a crash on Wednesday in Mercer County, officials said.

The crash occurred after the driver of another car ran a red light.

In a statement, the SCI said they were “devastated by the tragic loss" of Lackey, who was 55 at the time of his death.

“We are devastated by the tragic news of Chadd’s death,” SCI Chair Tiffany Williams Brewer said in a statement.

“On behalf of my fellow Commissioners and the entire SCI staff, we extend our prayers and deepest sympathies to the Lackey family and his loved ones. Our SCI family, the NJ Bar and the law enforcement community have suffered a great loss today as we embark upon a time of healing and reflection on Chadd’s legacy.”

On Wednesday around 6 a.m., a 2020 Honda Accord, driven by a 51-year-old woman from Bordentown NJ, was traveling southbound on Route 130 near Klockner Road.

On entering the intersection with Klockner Rd, she struck a 2020 Ford Edge SUV, driven by Lackey, which was traveling eastbound from Klockner Road.

The Ford Edge SUV was also occupied by a 44-year-old woman from Hamilton, police said. The occupants in both vehicles were taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where Lackey succumbed to his injuries.

The passenger of the Ford Edge is listed in critical condition, and the driver of the Honda Accord is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

According to preliminary investigation, the driver of the Honda Accord failed to observe a red traffic signal while traveling southbound on Route 130.

Lackey, a Voorhees resident, took over as executive director of SCI in 2020, becoming the first Black person to lead the agency since its inception.

Gov. Phil Murphy released a statement saying he was “deeply saddened” by Lackey’s death.

“Chadd broke barriers as SCI’s first Black executive director, working his way through the ranks over nearly 20 years of service to our state. During his time at the SCI, he took on organized crime, opioid abuse, corruption, and countless other issues. There is no doubt New Jersey is a safer and more just place because of him,” Murphy said.

“Our heartfelt prayers are with his family and his colleagues at the SCI during this difficult time.”

Lackey joined the SCI as an investigative counsel in 2005 and directed several of the agency’s most high-profile investigations into organized crime, including a groundbreaking inquiry that identified prescription pill abuse as the precursor to a new heroin epidemic.

Prior to his employment at the Commission, Lackey was an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida where he founded and managed the Community Prosecutions Unit.

A graduate of Northwood University, Lackey earned his law degree from Temple University School of Law.

The crash is being investigated by Officers J. Galant and B. Mandelko of the Hamilton Police Traffic Unit. Any witnesses are asked to contact the Hamilton Police Traffic Unit at (609) 581-4000.

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