CARNEYS POINT TOWNSHIP, NJ — Authorities have released new details surrounding a devastating multivehicle crash that claimed the lives of four young Yeshiva students early Sunday morning on the New Jersey Turnpike in Salem County.
According to the New Jersey State Police, the collision occurred around 12:40 a.m. on the southbound lanes near milepost 1.3 in Carneys Point Township. Investigators say that Christopher Neff, 41, of Westminster, Colorado, was driving a Dodge pickup truck northbound in the southbound lanes when it collided head-on with a Mazda SUV carrying the four Yeshiva students.
The Mazda, driven by 19-year-old Yaakov Kilberg of Lakewood, New Jersey, was traveling southbound in the left inner lane when the crash occurred. His passengers — 18-year-old Aharon Lebovits and 18-year-old Shlomo Cohen, both of Lakewood, and 18-year-old Chaim Grossman of Fallsburg, New York — were also inside the vehicle.
The head-on impact between the northbound pickup and the southbound SUV was catastrophic. Moments after the collision, the Mazda was struck again from behind by a Freightliner tractor-trailer traveling in the right lane.
Tragically, Kilberg, Lebovits, Cohen, and Grossman all died at the scene as a result of their injuries. The four young men were students at a Yeshiva (Jewish religious school) and were reportedly returning from a weekend event when the crash took place.
Christopher Neff, the driver of the Dodge pickup truck traveling the wrong way, sustained serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.
Authorities have not yet confirmed why Neff was traveling in the wrong direction, but the investigation remains ongoing. Police are working to determine whether impairment, fatigue, or disorientation may have played a role in the tragic incident.
Emergency crews, including New Jersey State Police, local fire departments, and medical personnel, responded to the scene, closing a large portion of the Turnpike for several hours as investigators reconstructed the sequence of events.
The deaths of the four young students have sent shockwaves through the Lakewood and Fallsburg Jewish communities, where the victims were well known and deeply loved. Vigils and memorial gatherings have been organized in both towns, as family, friends, and fellow Yeshiva students struggle to come to terms with the loss.
Community leaders described the young men as devoted students and kind souls whose lives were dedicated to faith, learning, and friendship. “They were bright, compassionate, and deeply committed to their studies and community,” one rabbi shared. “Their loss is a tragedy that words cannot describe.”
In Lakewood, hundreds have gathered to pray for the families of the victims and to offer support as funeral arrangements are made. The grief is especially profound given the victims’ youth — all under 20 years old — and the sudden, senseless nature of the crash.
Officials say the investigation will continue over the coming weeks as they review dashcam footage, highway surveillance videos, and witness statements to piece together how the wrong-way driver entered the Turnpike and traveled so far before impact.
The New Jersey State Police urge anyone who may have witnessed the crash or the events leading up to it to contact investigators.
As the Lakewood and Fallsburg communities mourn, tributes continue to pour in for Yaakov Kilberg, Aharon Lebovits, Shlomo Cohen, and Chaim Grossman — four young men whose futures were tragically cut short but whose faith and friendship will never be forgotten.
Funeral services are being arranged in accordance with Jewish tradition, and community members are coming together to support the grieving families through prayer, comfort, and remembrance.