Friends Killed In Rt. 80 Crash Were Aspiring Creatives

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Two friends killed in an early-morning crash on Route 80 in Parsippany last week were both friendly, helpful young women pursuing creative careers, friends and family have said.

Jalen Davis, 20, of Stanhope, and Julia Wells, of Mine Hill, were killed in the crash on Friday, friends and family of the women have told local media outlets. A man was also killed in the crash; his identity has not been released.

"Jalen was a very free spirit, very kind. Just opened her heart to everyone. She always saw good, never the bad," her mother, JoAnn Merritt, told NJ.com. Davis was pursuing a career in hip-hop, and had a concert in Elizabeth scheduled on the night of the crash.

"This is something we definitely didn’t prepare for or could even imagine we would be dealing with right now. Jalen just turned 20 two weeks ago and was working on her music career. She was such a loving spirit with the heart to serve and help people. She was the most unselfish person that I know," Merrit said on an online fundraiser set up to help with funeral costs.

Wells was also known for her kindness and creativity, a friend shared in a different online fundraiser.

"She had a passion for cosmetology, as anyone who knew her knew that her makeup was always done as well as her hair and nails. Also, she offered to beautify anyone she could. Julia was smart, she had a future, she knew she wanted to be successful one day, her mind was dedicated," friend Amber Brianne Sweedy wrote in a GoFundMe to offset Wells' funeral costs.

"She was obsessed with helping people feel beautiful. Her personality was so ecstatic," Sweedy told NJ.com.

Details about funeral services were not available for either woman Monday afternoon.

The Morris County Prosecutor's office has declined to confirm the identities of the three people killed, or elaborate on the cause of the multi-car crash, which happened around 1:45 a.m. Friday morning. It was not clear when that information might be available.