2 Die In Fiery Lakewood Crash After Fleeing Police: Prosecutor

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A driver who fled police trying to stop him in connection with an shooting died as a result of a fiery crash that also killed his 16-year-old passenger Thursday night, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said Friday.

Rynell Bennett, 29, of Bellefonte, PA, and a 16-year-old boy from Gloucester, NJ, died as a result of the crash near Massachusetts Avenue and Cross Street that happened just before 7 p.m., said Al Della Fave, spokeman for the prosecutor's office.

Bennett was driving a red 2016 Ford Focus on Whitesville Road in Toms River when Toms River Police Officer Kyle Lamar saw it and realized the car was wanted in connection with a shooting in Lakewood earlier in the day, Della Fave said. Bennett was not wearing a seat belt and the registration on the car was suspended, so Lamar turned on his emergency lights and tried to pull the car over, he said.

Instead of stopping, Bennett took off and Lamar followed, dropping the pursuit when Bennett ran a red light at Route 70 out of concern for public safety, Della Fave said. Lamar continued north into Lakewood and minutes later came upon the Ford Focus on fire crashed into a tree just north of Massachusetts Avenue and Cross Street, he said.

Bennett was trapped in the car and Lamar along with Toms River Officer Thomas Elwood, who arrived on the scene, immediately struggled to pull Bennett from the burning car and once they freed him, they carried him across the street and began CPR, Della Fave said.

EMS and Lakewood police responded and first aid was rendered both Bennett and the teen, but both died, he said.

Lamar and Elwood were taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River due to smoke inhalation and both were treated and released, he said.

The preliminary investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Fatal Accident Investigations Unit indicates that just prior to the crash, the Ford Focus were traveling north on Massachusetts Avenue at a high rate of speed, ran a red light at Cross Street and lost control, hitting a tree on the southbound side of the road.

Assisting in the investigation were the Ocean County Fatal Accident Support Team (FAST), the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, Della Fave said.

Updated to correct the street name where the incident began. Image via Shutterstock