By: Richard L. Smith
In an incident that has shaken the Newark community, a teenage boy lost his life, and his driver sustained severe injuries following a horrific two-car collision in the city’s North Ward Sunday night.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is spearheading a meticulous investigation into the crash, which occurred just before 9:47 p.m. in the 200 block of Montclair Avenue.
RLS Media has learned that the violent impact of the collision left both vehicles severely damaged.
Newark’s emergency response teams, upon arriving at the scene, found one of the cars with two individuals trapped inside.
Among them were 13-year-old Edwin Wartinez and his cousin who are residents of Newark. The urgency and severity of the situation necessitated the use of the Jaws of Life to extricate the victims from the wreckage.
Tragically, Martinez a student at Park Elementary School located near the Belleville border, suffered catastrophic injuries.
Despite the swift response and best efforts of the emergency crews, he was pronounced dead shortly after the crash.
The boy’s driver grievously injured, was rushed to University Hospital for urgent treatment.
He remains in serious condition, battling the aftermath of the accident.
The local community, particularly those associated with Park Elementary School, is in mourning, grappling with the sudden loss of a young life and the critical condition of his father.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, alongside the Crime Scene Investigations unit, is thoroughly investigating the cause of the collision.
The active and ongoing inquiry seeks to find the circumstances that led to this devastating collision.
UPDATED: Officials have updated the story to state that the driver was an 18-year-old man but not the father which was originally released.