Alfred Prieto, Danielle Prieto, and their youngest son, Antonio Prieto were killed when a truck changing lanes on Interstate 75 struck their SUV around 10 p.m. last Friday, NJ Advance Media reports. All three were pronounced dead at the scene, and all were wearing seatbelts.
Alfred and Danielle's two other sons, Alec, 25, and Roberto, a Millburn High School senior, survive them. They were not in the vehicle.
Those who knew the family penned a joint obituary for the three slain members, remembering Danielle -- formerly a trustee on the Millburn BOE -- as a force to be reckoned with.
"She was a bulldog yet disarmingly beautiful and feminine," it reads. "She believed in living life to the fullest." Danielle served on the BOE after retiring from the financial industry, her candidate's statement reads. She served from 2018 to 2021 and did not run for re-election.
Al was remembered as a "transformational leader" professionally, having worked with Fortune 100 clients around the world.
Antonio, 16, was the best of both his parents, the obit reads. A passionate gymnast, Antonio was "the epitome of love, light, and believer of dreams and possibilities," the obit reads.
A fundraiser was launched in memory of Antonio. Funds will go toward creating a scholarship for Stanford University’s Gifted and Athletic Program "that supports and provides an amazing high school education tailored to work around the dedicated training program of athletes and artists," the campaign reads.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, at Paul Ippolito Summit Memorial. The Funeral Mass will be at St. Rosa Lima Church in Short Hills at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 17, followed by the entombment at Woodbridge Memorial Gardens in Woodbridge.
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