Staten Island Rabbi Killed in Crash Near Forest Hill

The man killed in Sunday’s ice storm in Harford County has been identified as a popular New York rabbi who was on his way to a convention in Hunt Valley.

Rabbi Dovid Winiarz, 49, of Staten Island, N.Y., was in the backseat of a Honda CR-V on MD Route 23 when the vehicle slid into oncoming traffic and hit a Honda Pilot, according to The Washington Post.

Winiarz was well-known inside and outside of the Jewish community, for his uplifting presence and ability to connect with others via social media.

Under the name “Facebuker Rebbe,” Winiarz posted regularly about how spiritual teachings applied to daily life on Facebook, and shared messages on YouTube and Twitter.

He was on his way to the American Jewish Outreach Program Convention in Hunt Valley at the time of Sunday‘s crash, according to Vos Iz Neias, a news site for New York’s Orthodox Jewish and Hasidic communities.

Winiarz was in the backseat of the Honda CR-V when it lost control on Route 23 near Grafton Shop Road at 8:10 a.m. Sunday, according to The Aegis, which reported the driver and front passenger—David and Emily Chandlov, of Edison, N.J.—were taken to Upper Chesapeake with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

• Police: Fatal Crash Near Forest Hill Was Weather-Related

The driver of the Honda Pilot—Carey Lambros of Baldwin—was also taken with minor injuries and so was her juvenile passenger, The Aegis reported.

In both vehicles, everyone was wearing a seat belt, Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company Chief Rudy Walter told Vos Iz Neias. Maryland State Police said that weather was believed to be a factor in the crash.

The collision was one of at least 100 crashes across the state on Sunday, Maryland State Police told CNN.

In the northeast, there were four other deaths reported on icy roads, according to ABC News—three in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey.

• ICE ALERT: ‘Entire County is Paralyzed...’

Winiarz leaves behind a wife and 10 children, according to a fundraising page set up for his children’s education. More than $46,000 had been donated as of 11 a.m. Monday morning.

The rabbi was described as “larger than life” and a “one-man dynamo” with a “contagiously happy demeanor,” according to Vos Iz Neias.

On his Facebook page, Winiarz wrote that tragedies may occur ”because we are quick to pray after a tragedy,” according to SILive.com, a news site covering Staten Island.

Said Winiarz: “A person needs to view unusual happenings as lightning bolts meant to light the way back to G-d-centric living.”

Screenshot from YouTube/Your Kiruv Konecction Radio Show.