Crime & Safety
11th Grader Killed In Scotch Plans Car Crash
A Union County Votech student died Wednesday after being involved in a serious car crash on Cooper Road in Scotch Plains, authorities said.
Scotch Plains, NJ - A student at Union County Vocational Technical Schools died Wednesday in surgery after being in a serious car crash in Scotch Plains, according to police.
Daniel Triano, 17, from Kenliworth was an 11th grader at UCVTS at the Academy for Information Technology. He was also an ice hockey player for Dayton-Brearley in Union County.
"On behalf of the board of education and entire UCVTS community, our hearts and thoughts continue to be with the family in this difficult time," UCVTS Superintendent Peter A. Capodice told Patch. "We have and will continue to take steps we believe are necessary to provide support to the school and student community."
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The two car head-on collision occured on Wednesday, June 15 at 3:10 p.m. on Cooper Road, just west of Fenimore Drive, Scotch Plains Captain Ted Conley said.
Triano, driving a 2003 Ford Focus, was traveling east on Cooper Road and a 45-year-old from Scotch Plains, driving a 2012 Ford Edge, traveling west on Cooper Road hit head-on, Conley said.
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There were no other passengers in either cars.
The Scotch Plains local was transported to Robert Wood Johnson medical center in New Brunswick by ambulance with non life threatening injuries.
Triano was air lifed to University Medical Center in Newark where he later died while under going surgery.
Capodice said UCVTS has 11 counselors on campus and multiple grief counselors from agencies throughout area on hand at the school to help other students and staff cope with this loss.
Family and friends used Twitter to mourn and remember Triano using the hashtags #PrayforDan and #RipDan.
#tbt to my first true friend even though we're not as close as we used to be im gonna miss you like crazy #RipDan pic.twitter.com/PumRSbxQ6h
— Joe Scanio (@Joe_Scanio13) June 16, 2016
Be thankful for everything you have in life. Can't believe this horrible news. My condolences to his friends and family. #ripDan
— DJ M.I. (@DJMI973) June 16, 2016
I honestly can't believe this I can't wrap my head around any of this #ripdan
— ayala (@osssowski) June 16, 2016
Heaven gained an amazing hockey player. I wasn't as close to you as i wish i was. Keep throwing the body and scoring Hatties #PrayForDan
— Ondrej Smalec (@notondrej) June 16, 2016
Dan's the type of person who will always be there when you need him the most, now it's time for us to be there for him #prayfordan
— Jonathan Shih (@thejshih) June 16, 2016
The accident is currently under investigation by the Scotch Plains Traffic Bureau with the assistance of the Union County Traffic Bureau. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Anyone with any pertinent information should contact Detective Lieutenant Paul Belford, of the Scotch Plains Police Department, (908) 322-7100 x111.
(Photo from Joe Scanio)
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