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At 10:47 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, a vehicle carrying six people was traveling on Raymond Boulevard toward the Route 1&9 southbound on-ramp, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II said. The vehicle then veered off the roadway, went airborne, and struck a support column for the Pulaski Skyway, Stephens said.
Lamar McKnight, 31, has been identified as the driver. Darryl McKnight, 29, Darnell Carr, 22, Bradley Cunningham, 41 and Veronica Bailey, 31 have also been confirmed as victims. The McKnights are related to State Senator Senator Angela V. McKnight, by marriage.
All the victims were residents of Jersey City, Stephens said. Lamar and Darryl were brothers. The identity of the sixth victim is pending DNA testing, Stephens said.
Lamar McKnight and Cunningham were coaches at Hudson Catholic. McKnight took over as Hudson Catholic’s head coach last December. A standout athlete at Lincoln High School, McKnight continued his football career at Tennessee State University before transferring to Adams State.
Cunningham was revered as one of Hudson Catholic’s greatest fullback/linebackers and a state champion shot-putter, according to NJ Advance Media. He played for Rutgers University.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said. “Lamar and Brad were not just incredible coaches—they were mentors, role models, and pillars of our community.”
The cause of the crash has not been determined, Stephens said.
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