Video Shows High-Speed Chase Before Fiery Fatal Lakewood Crash

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The driver of a car who died in a fiery crash in Lakewood earlier this month reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour and was going 85 mph when he lost control and hit a tree near Cross Street, the Ocean County prosecutor's office said Wednesday.

The prosecutor's office released the dashcam video from the patrol car of the Toms River police officer who tried to pull the car over before the driver, Rynell Bennett, 29, of Bellefonte, PA, took off. In the 10-minute video you can see the chase, which lasts less than 2 minutes before Bennett's car disappears and Toms River Police Officer Kyle Lamar terminates the pursuit.

The June 7 crash, which killed Bennett and an unnamed 16-year-old boy from Gloucester, NJ, happened less than a minute later on Massachusetts Avenue just north of Cross Street, according to the dashcam footage.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends for the tragic loss of their love ones," a statement from Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said.

"The decision to post the video was not an easy one," he said. "However, the attorney general of the state of New Jersey has asked that all law enforcement become more transparent in assuring the public we serve that appropriate and justified actions are taken by an agency and its members."

"With that as guidance and with the fact there has been substantial community and media interest in this event, we released the police video upon the completion of the investigation," Della Fave said.

"The video was not altered beyond our addition of captioning," he said. "It is our hope that beyond clarifying the actions of the involved officers, it will serve to educate others to the tragic outcome eluding and excessive speed present on local roads."

The video also documents the efforts of Lamar and others, including Toms River Police Officer Thomas Elwood and several civilians, as they tried to rescue Bennett from the car.

The car Bennett was driving, a red 2016 Ford Focus, was being sought in connection with a shooting that had happened in Lakewood earlier that day when Lamar saw it as he pulled up behind it on Whitesville Road at Route 70, Della Fave said at the time of the crash. Bennett was not wearing a seat belt and the registration on the car was suspended, prompting the traffic stop, he said.

The video, timestamped at 8:45 p.m., begins as Lamar pulls up behind the Ford, which was stopped for a red light. As the traffic signal turns green, the cars cross Route 70, with Lamar's overhead emergency lights flashing. Bennett pulls over, but as Lamar puts the patrol car in park, the Ford peels out, speeding through the parking lot of the Exxon station on the northeast corner of Whitesville Road and Route 70, then zooms out onto Route 70 east.

Lamar follows, lights flashing and sirens audible. As they reach Massachusetts Avenue, Bennett makes a hard left and heads north on Massachusetts Avenue, running a red light in the process. As Lamar turns onto Massachusetts Avenue, the Ford disappears from view, and Lamar shuts off his lights and sirens and slows down.

As Lamar continues north on Massachusetts Avenue, he sees emergency lights in the distance and keeps going, reaching the site of the crash. Lamar gets out and walks to the car, and can be heard telling the dispatcher, "There's flames in the car. He's stuck inside." He runs back to his patrol car to get his fire extinguisher and tries to put the fire out.

Elwood arrives, and the two officers along with several people who stopped to assist work to pull Bennett out as smoke starts billowing from the car. Finally they free Bennett and carry him across the street, where EMTs rush to try to save his life.

"Two-two, we got him out," Lamar can be heard to say. It is just seven minutes after Bennett initially fled the traffic stop.

Efforts to revive Bennett at the scene failed, and he was pronounced dead. The teenager died at the scene of his injuries as well, Della Fave said. Neither was wearing a seat belt, he said.

Information from the car's event data recorder (similiar to an airplane's black box) showed the car had reached 112 mph as Bennett fled, and was going 85 mph at the time it hit the tree, the prosecutor's office said.

Photo from dashcam video.