Community Mourns Loss of Beloved Teens Killed in Car Crash

A community is grief-stricken following a weekend that saw the loss of two young men in a car crash.

Four Randolph teens were driving along Ironia Road in their home town Saturday afternoon when the driver lost control of the car, crashing and resulting in the fatal injuries of two passengers, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said over the weekend.

According to nj.com, Jack Timmerman and Calvin Verduga, both 17, were the teens who died in the crash. The other two passengers were taken to the hospital bus sustained non-life threatening injuries.

The Randolph football players were like brothers, the report said.

Both were working out at a gym in Randolph Saturday before two friends picked them up, the report said. Police told the family the car was speeding on Ironia Road and the driver failed to properly negotiate a turn, veered off the right side of the road, toppled, hit a street sign and a tree before coming to a stop, the report said.

No new information has been released by authorities since the Saturday afternoon crash.

A memorial fund at youcaring.com has been established for Verduga’s family, with a goal of $5,000. As of Monday morning, $590 had already been donated.

Grief counseling was offered at Randolph High School Sunday and Monday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and again from 1 to 3 p.m.

On Sunday, the Randolph Schools Superintendent issued the following statement on the district website:

“The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office reported that two of our students died in a car crash on Ironia Road on Saturday. Our entire school community is in mourning and our thoughts are most certainly with the families and friends of the two students, beloved by so many. Mrs. Iosso met with her crisis team at RHS first thing Sunday morning and we will have counselors available for any student or staff member in need of assistance. You can be assured that our school community will do everything we can to help our students deal with this tragic loss. We will do our best to provide additional updates as necessary during this difficult time. Thank you for your support and understanding.”

Friends, family and those who knew or didn’t know Timmerman and Verduga took to social media to express their sorrow.

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