3 NJ Residents Killed In NY Crash: Police

NEW JERSEY — Three New Jersey residents and a North Jersey high school coach were identified as the victims in a fiery fatal crash on the Taconic Parkway in New York State on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Around 4:46 p.m., four residents from Monmouth County were in a van that crossed lanes, slammed into a Honda, overturned, and caught fire, the New York State Police said Thursday.

The three victims in the Ram ProMaster van were identified as Odenis Balladares Martinez, 20, of Neptune, Harrison Mauricio Reyes Rivera, 34, of Long Branch, and Bryan Aguilar Castillo, 45, of Asbury Park, police said. They were pronouned dead at the scene, police said.

The driver of the Honda, Rob Violante of Granite Springs, N.Y., was hospitalized and died later, police said. He was a coach at Bergenfield High School in Bergen County and was heading home from work at the time, school officials said.

The driver of the van, Yader A. Reyes, 50, of Long Branch, survived and is hospitalized in critical condition at Westchester Medical Center, police said.

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash, police said Thursday.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has relevant information is urged to contact the New York State Police at (845) 677-7300, they said.

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